by Nicole Kraft, director of communications, USTA

Columbus, OH — Trainer Joe Seekman thought his colt Art Official had a shot at a good check in the Meadowlands Pace if he could stay close to favored Somebeachsomewhere. What he didn’t figure was driver Ron Pierce steering Art Official by the undefeated pacer in the final strides to the wire, to capture the winner’s share of the $1.1 million race in a world record time of 1:47.

“I was definitely surprised,” Seekman said with a chuckle. “He stayed close and things worked out.”

Lisa photo

Art Official gets up at the wire to win the Meadowlands Pace final over Somebeachsomewhere.

A $10,000 purchase at the 2006 Tattersalls Mixed Sale by Jim and Joyce Jesk’s Sawgrass Farms LLC, Art Official headed to Seekman’s Michigan barn as a 2-year-old. The son of Art Major and the Falcon Seelster mare Naughty Shady Lady, went winless in 15 starts, earning $104,433 with checks in the Breeders Crown final (fifth), American-National final (third) and International Stallion Stake division (third).

At age 3, however, he quickly found his gear, winning his first two conditioned starts, before finishing fourth in the Berry’s Creek final. Art Official jumped onto the racing radar June 28 with a win in the $500,000 Hoosier Cup.

“He raced good as a 2-year-old,” said Seekman. “He went with the good horses; he just never won. But he showed he wanted to go. He trained back real good at 3 and kept getting better.”

Art Official prepped for the Meadowlands Pace by finishing second in his elimination behind Somebeachsomewhere, and left Jim Jesk so confident in the week leading up to the race that the owner proclaimed to tell USTA correspondent Joshua Potts, “I think we’re going to win. He’s a grinder. We’re going to go after ‘The Beach.’ Ronnie is a great driver. It’s going to be a good race. You can’t take anything away from ‘The Beach.’ But I think my guy’s going to do it. We’re in a good spot, and we have a good driver. We’ll do fine.”

USTA/Ken Weingartner photo

Driver Ron Pierce and trainer Joe Seekman celebrate in the winner’s circle with the Meadowlands Pace trophy.

Seekman said he finally realized Art Official would fulfill such a prophecy “about 50 yards past the wire.” Though he was not expecting the victory, he knew as well as any trainer that every streak will likely someday come to an end.

He trained the great filly Kikikatie to 14 straight wins before she lost the final race of her freshman campaign — finishing second in the Breeders Crown in her last start of 2003.

“They are horses; they aren’t machines,” he said.

Art Official will head to Indiana Downs, before taking a break in preparation for the fall Grand Circuit events at The Red Mile, as well as the Breeders Crown and Matron Stake. He was not kept eligible to the Little Brown Jug, and likely will not supplement to the Cane Pace, even though a win there would give him a pass to the Jug.

“We didn’t keep him eligible to the Jug because we didn’t want to go two heats on a half-mile track,” said Seekman. “He’s not a small horse. I don’t think the small track would be his forte. We’re going to catch the end of the stake season.”

Princess of Wales

Foals out of Art Official’s dam, Naughty Shady Lady, should be a hot commodity after her son’s triumph in the Meadowlands Pace. Buyers, however, will have to go quite a distance to find them.

Naughty Shady Lady, a daughter of Falcon Seelster, is among the 20 broodmares at Wellfield Stud in Wales, United Kingdom, having been exported Feb. 12, 2006.

Foaled in Powell, Ohio, Naughty Shady Lady is out of a half sister to world champion Shady Daisy, and was a $47,000 yearling purchase in 1995 to Fred Brunner and Glengate Farms of Ontario. Blair Burgess trained her all three of her years on the track, as she won five of 60 races and earned $41,473, while taking a 1:55.4s mark at 3.

She produced five foals for the partners, including Art Official. Besides her world champion son, only one foal, her 2003 colt by Cam’s Card Shark named Shady Shark, earned more than $20,000.

While in the UK, Naughty Shady Lady has produced two foals — Wellfield Knowing, by No Pan Intended, in 2006, and an unnamed Village Connection foal this year.

Editor’s Note: To view a Cyber Circuit replay of the Meadowlands Pace, click here. For video interviews with the major Pace players, click here.