by James Witherite, Meadowlands Media Relations
East Rutherford, N.J. -- Art History ($3.60) has been on a
tear of late, reeling off three straight wins over increasingly difficult
competition. His most recent triumph came on Saturday (March 19)
evening's featured $20,000 top-level pace at The Meadowlands, giving driver
Scott Zeron one of his four wins on the 12-race program.
Art History controlled most of the terms in the featured
sixth event and held sway from a hard-closing K-Lees Shakenbake, employing a
:26.1 last quarter to prevail over top-level company in 1:51.2 over fast
going. Scott Zeron used the 5-year-old Western Ideal gelding to seize the
lead after a :27.4 first quarter, working clear of Sweet Rock (Corey Callahan)
upon reaching the backstretch.
Following a well-rated :57.2 middle half, Art History
accelerated clear of his eight foes in mid-stretch--but remained under pursuit
from the first-over Ashley's Husband (Vinny Ginsburg) and K-Lees Shakenbake
(Brett Miller), who vaulted off cover to chase via a :25.3 closing split.
Art History had just enough to prevail, a neck better than K-Lees Shakenbake in
the end. Ashley's Husband stayed on for third, while Sweet Rock tired a
bit amid his chase, finishing fourth.
Steve Elliott trains 13-time winner Art History for Kenneth
Klein and the Old Block Stables.
For Zeron, the win with Art History began a natural hat
trick, and was one of his four on the night. The 26-year-old driver also
teamed up with Mel Mara ($7.40, 1:49.1) in race 7, McArdles Lightning ($3.40,
1:50.4) in race 8, and Hope for Badlands ($3.80, 1:52.4) in race 11.
Total handle for the 12-race program was $2,926,995, marking
an increase of $324,605 over the corresponding Saturday night program in 2015.
Live racing returns to the Meadowlands on Friday, March 25,
with first post at 7:15 p.m. EDT. Over a quarter million dollars will
await punters in the form of carryovers and guaranteed pools, as carryovers of
$9210 and $148,441 await 20¢ Jackpot High 5 players in the fifth and final
races respectively, and the evening's Pick 4 and Pick 5 wagers offer $105,000
in combined guaranteed pools.
