from Meadowlands Media Relations

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – May 29, 2004 – Modern Art [$4.60, $3.20, $2.60] brushed to the lead along the backstretch and withstood the pressure of Dr No [$7.20, $4.20] to win the $500,000 SBOA/New Jersey Classic by a neck on Saturday night at the Meadowlands.

After a flat middle panel of 28 seconds, Modern Art found another gear when Dr No gamely looked him in the eye at the top of the stretch. Driven by David Miller, the son of Artsplace paced to a 1:52 victory in the premier event for three-year-old New Jersey-breds, which was carded as the evening’s seventh race.

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Modern Art held off Dr No to win the $500,000 SBOA/New Jersey Classic by a neck.

“He raced real good,” Miller said of Modern Art. “From the rail you want to race him on the front. He was strong throughout the mile. I give him a rest around the last turn. Cat’s horse [Dr No, driven by Cat Manzi] gave a good run at us in the stretch, but my horse dug right in when he was challenged. I was just waiting for my horse to get into gear.”

After setting the opening quarter of 26.4, Spirit Of A Shark [$2.80] sat contentedly behind Modern Art and closed for third.

Trained by Joe Holloway, Modern Art has been first or second in 15 of 16 lifetime starts. His impressive freshman campaign included a victory in the Woodrow Wilson at the Meadowlands. Modern Art has earned $994,041 for Marty Granoff’s Val D’Or Farms of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey; Milton and Martha Frank of Fair Lawn, New Jersey and Ted Gewertz of New York City. Holloway won the 1996 New Jersey Classic with Jenna’s Beach Boy, while Val D’Or Farms’ Die Laughing parlayed a Wilson victory into a New Jersey Classic win in 1991.

“It worked out great,” Holloway said. “We got the push off, waited for things to settle down and then just go. Our horse got a little bumpy in the last turn and David just let him settle in. He trained down very good and he’s a little more mature. We took it real easy with him, he had a break after the Wilson. He’ll have his day.

Next week he’s off and then its the North America Cup eliminations.”

Defending divisional champion I Am A Fool worked out a second-over trip but gapped cover and finish ninth.

“It just wasn’t his night,” driver Ron Pierce said of I Am A Fool. “He must have woken up on the wrong side of the stall. He got a good trip. I had to grab him up on the first turn. After that he had a good trip.”

In the companion filly event, the $200,000 SBOA/Miss New Jersey, Yannick Gingras earned the biggest win of his young driving career with longshot Life’s Image [$69.20, $20.60, $8.20] in the evening’s fifth race.

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Yannick Gingras drove Life’s Image to an upset win in the $200,000 SBOA/Miss New Jersey.

Life’s Image sat behind the dueling leaders and closed along the inside to best the late-charging Glowing Report [$5.00, $4.00] by a neck in 1:52. Glowing Report commanded the lead in a brisk opening quarter of 26.4 seconds, then yielded to 8-5 favorite Earhart Hanover who locked up in a speed duel with BJ’s Sunset along the backstretch.

Apple Krisp [$5.00] rallied from sixth at the top of the stretch to finish third, three-quarters of a length behind the winner.

Gingras, 24, began driving at the Meadowlands full-time in 2004 and has already cracked the Top 10 with 65 victories and $1.3 million in earnings. The Quebec-born reinsman was the recipient of the United States Harness Writers Rising Star Award in 2003.

“They called me this week to see if I was available,”

Gingras said of picking up the drive behind Life’s Image. “They told me she’s a little funny to steer. I was looking for fifth; I was looking for a check. I followed the pylons the whole way, the rail opened up, you couldn’t have a better trip. I was pretty much all out keeping up with them. Things are hard here, I don’t win as many races here. But I’m young and learning every day.”

It was the second win in four career starts for Life’s Image, a three-year-old daughter of Life Sign-Shy Reflection. Bruce Riegle trains t he filly for George Segal’s Brittany Farms of Versailles, Kentucky.

“Last year she trained well and had a few things that she needed to grow up and mature,” Riegle said. “She just needed another year to grow up. We’ve kept her eligible to everything.

George [Segal] put his neck out to pay up to all the races. She’s green and doesn’t know how fast she’s going. It’s all new to her. Yannick gave her a perfect trip. She raced great. She was good enough that she shot through.”