by Lynne Snierson, publicity director, Rockingham Park

Salem, NH — Heavy favorites Artesian and Boulder Creek, each driven by Bruce Ranger, did not disappoint their backers as they won their respective $20,000 New Hampshire Sweepstakes eliminations at Rockingham Park on Saturday. Now they headline the nine horse field for free-for-allers in next Saturday’s $112,000 New Hampshire Sweepstakes Final.

In the first of the two $20,000 eliminations for the one mile pace, there may have been six horses in the field but it turned out to be just a one horse race.

Artesian, the prohibitive 1-5 favorite, went right to the lead on a fast track and set sizzling fractions of :26³, :55¹, and 1:23¹ before lighting up the tote board in a final time of 1:50 while drawing away to a stunning six and one-quarter-length win. The four-year-old horse not only outclassed the competition, but he also set a new track record for all ages, sex and gaits when he took one tick off the old mark set by West Gun, who also had Ranger in the bike.

Artesian returned $2.60, $2.20 and $2.20, while Armbro Animate was second, Coastotcoast Yankee took third, and Landmark Honor also earned a slot in next Saturday’s final.

When asked after the race if it were as easy as it looked for Artesian, his owner and trainer, Cosmo DePinto, smiled and said, “He went to the front and never looked back. He is just a very nice horse.”

Indeed. DePinto purchased the son of Artiscape and the Falcon Steelster mare Hula Dancer as a yearling at the Tattersalls Sale for $32,000. With his $10,000 share of the purse, Artesian has now brought home $824,527.

“We’ll be right back here next Saturday for the $100,000 final,” DePinto said. “We’re really looking forward to it.”

In the second elimination, Boulder Creek, the 2-5 favorite in the field of six, never faced a real challenge through fractions of :27², :56³, and 1:24⁴ before crossing under the wire in 1:51¹. The four-year-old gelded son of Pacific Rocket and the Threefold mare Hayser Creek had an easy trip on the way to returning $2.80, $2.20, and $2.20. Whosurboy took second, Art Attack was third, and Whatanartist was guaranteed a spot in the final with his fourth place finish.

“It went perfect,” said Mark Silva, who trains the lifetime earner of $1,112,021 for owners Cliff Siegel, Lee Wasserman, and John Fodera. “”He didn’t get abused and he paced home just the way we wanted. I couldn’t ask for anyting better. We’re looking forward to next Saturday, too.”

The final field for the New Hampshire Sweepstakes is made up of the first four finishers from each of the two eliminations, plus the winner of a blind draw between the two fifth place finishers, Joshua and Glors Boy. The loser of that draw will become the also-eligible for the race, which will be drawn at Rockingham on Wednesday.

Now Ranger, who had five wins on the day to keep his streak alive and 168 at the meet, has a tough decision to make about which horse to drive in the final.

One of Ranger’s win on Saturday’s card was with Dexter’s Voyage, who has now won eight consecutive races at Rockingham.