by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Freehold, NJ — Art Official, who raced on the outside for much of the day in his two heats of the Little Brown Jug last week, is scheduled to make his next start Saturday in the Bluegrass Stakes at Lexington’s Red Mile. Art Official won his first Jug heat and was third in the final, which was won by Shadow Play.

“It’s unbelievable, actually, how fresh he is,” trainer Joe Seekman said about Art Official, who saw a six-race win streak ended in the Jug final and finished worse than second for only the second time in 14 starts since the Berry’s Creek in May. “I don’t know what horse would have won with those two trips. But he seems super.”

Earlier this month, Art Official won the $392,850 Cane Pace at Freehold Raceway. The Cane Pace was the first leg in the Pacing Triple Crown; the Little Brown Jug was the second.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Art Official was a 1:52.3 winner in his Little Brown Jug elimination last Thursday.

Art Official, who was supplemented to the Jug for $45,000, struggled around the first turn of his opening heat at the half-mile Delaware County Fairgrounds, nearly going off stride, which surprised Seekman because the colt was so sharp in winning the Cane Pace at half-mile Freehold. Art Official, driven by Ron Pierce, won his Cane Pace elim in a Freehold record 1:50.4 and won the final in 1:51.1, which equaled the stakes record.

“After he got around Freehold so good, I was surprised,” Seekman said. “The track (at Delaware) was pretty firm that day; I don’t know if that got to him. Freehold was a little looser, with some more cushion.”

Following the Bluegrass, Art Official could go to the Tattersalls on October 4 at the Red Mile, or bypass the Tattersalls to focus on the Windy City Pace at Maywood Park on October 10.

“We’re a little tight on our schedule, so that’s why we’re uncertain whether we’ll go to the Tattersalls,” Seekman said. “Now, that we don’t have to worry about the Triple Crown, we might do it because we probably won’t go to the Messenger.”

For the year, Art Official has won 11 of 18 races and earned $1.2 million. He also has the American-National, Breeders Crown, and Matron Stakes on his schedule.

In addition to the Cane Pace, his wins include the $1.1 million Meadowlands Pace (in a world record 1:47) and the $500,000 Hoosier Cup.

Art Official, by Art Major out of the mare Naughty Shady Lady, is owned by Sawgrass Farms.