By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media
Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – It’s getting
tough to come up with superlatives when describing Preppy Art.
The remarkable 7-year-old gelded son
of Art Colony-Electric Smile had won no races in 59 starts when he went behind
the gate on Nov. 1 at the Meadowlands. And that’s the night everything changed.
Since then, Preppy Art has won eight
of nine starts, the most recent coming in a $10,000 claiming pace at the Big M
Thursday night, cementing his standing as the hottest horse in all of harness
racing.
Racing out of the Nick Surick barn
for the second time during the streak (both wins), Preppy Art made his way to
the top while parked past the quarter in :27.3. Andy Miller then got the chance
to rate the second fraction back to a sleepy :29.4 to ensure he’d have plenty
left for the back half-mile.
And he certainly did.
The 1-2 favorite, who was tracked to
the stretch by his pocket-sitting stablemate Kid PK, opened up a 2-length lead
with three-sixteenths-of-a-mile to go and held sway easily to the wire by
three-quarters-of-a-length as Lear Seelster rallied along the pylons to get
second. Kid PK held third.
Preppy Art, who returned $3.00 to his
backers, won for owners Melvin Fink and Debbie Surick, before predictably being
claimed for an eighth consecutive start. The time for the mile was 1:53.3.
Lifetime, he now has 19 wins from 119 starts and earnings of $130,992. Preppy
Art left the track on trainer Bruce Lauer’s trailer at night’s end for the
second time in three starts.
A LITTLE MORE: Andy Miller finished the evening with
four wins while Andy McCarthy and Pat Berry had two apiece. … The 20-cent
Survivor Pick-9 played out like a jackpot once again, as one superb handicapper
betting into the Ontario hub had the lone ticket to last seven legs and cashed
in for $7,784. … All-source handle was vigorous for a Thursday at $1,872,320,
up 47 percent over Dec. 19 and up an amazing 96 percent over Dec. 12. … Racing
resumes Friday at 7:15 p.m.
