Horse Racing Nation was first with the story.

“This was sudden and a tough experience for me and my wife,” said owner-breeder Bruce Lunsford. “I can summarize this pretty easily. He gave me my highest highs in this business and now my lowest low. That's as simple as I can put it. He will be in my brain and my thoughts for the rest of my life. He was very special. The biggest win of my life was in the Pegasus down in Miami, so this was a really big loss. And he was going to be a great sire.”

Trainer Bill Mott said the problems started only a few days ago but became more serious by the day.

“He started to develop laminitis a couple of days ago and he went in a hurry,” Mott said. “He had a very good work on the fifth of August and was fine the next day. Then he developed what appeared to be a small foot abscess two days later. We were soaking it and treating it. We didn't think it was going to be anything serious, but it developed into laminitis in all four feet. He was with us in Saratoga and was in his stall. He started to get real uncomfortable on Tuesday. Yesterday was a bad day and it was getting worse and we had to make the decision to put him asleep.”

Art Collector was originally trained by Joe Sharp. He was transferred to trainer Tom Drury for his 3-year-old campaign. His first graded stakes win came for Drury in the 2020 GII Blue Grass S., which, because of the pandemic, was run on July 11. He returned with a win in the Ellis Park Derby before finishing fourth in the GI Preakness S., which began a three-race losing streak.

In July of 2021, Lunsford made the decision to turn the horse over to Mott, who helped turn around the horse's career. He won his first three starts for Mott in a streak that included the Alydar S., the GII Charles Town Classic and the Woodward. He scored another win in the Charles Town Classic in 2022. After winning this year's Pegasus, he finished his career with second-place finishes in the GII New Orleans Classic and the GII Alysheba.

He was being pointed for a return visit to this year's Charles Town Classic. Lunsford said the plan was to retire Art Collector after the Charles Town race and then to send him to Claiborne Farm, where he was to stand at stud.

Art Collector won 11 of 21 starts and earned $4,231,290.

“To win the Pegasus, what a brilliant race that was for him,” Mott said. “It may be the biggest race of the year so far in North America. We all have great memories of that. He won 50% of his races. He wasn't just an average race horse. He was pretty special.”

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“Bill (Mott) has been told by me that if he continues do well we will continue,” Lunsford said. “That was a pretty good race the other day in the Pegasus and it gives us a chance to take more shots.”

While Lunsford understands the economics of the sport, where, oftentimes a horse can make considerably more money breeding than racing, the owner wants to enjoy watching Art Collector run for at least one more year.

“It used to be that horse racing was never meant to be your main source of living,” Lunsford said. “It was more like owning a baseball team or a football team. You have the guy who owns Rich Strike, is having the experience of his life and is going to keep running him. We need more of that in the game. I love the excitement. Winning the Pegasus made my blood pump.”

The owner said that the next race for Art Collector has yet to be decided upon, while adding that “there's a list of 10 races that would fit him this year.”

Lunsford also addressed his decision in 2021 to turn the horse over to Mott after he had been trained by Tom Drury. For Drury, Art Collector win the GII Blue Grass S., but finished off the board in his final three races for that trainer.

“Tommy and I have an incredibly close relationship,” Lunsford said. “But after that last race at Churchill (a sixth-place finish in the Kelly's Landing S.), I went in and talked to Tommy. I knew it was a punch to the gut for him. I told him that I wanted to go to New York because there were a lot of big races there for him to run in. Tommy and I, we're probably closer now than we've ever been. We've kept a great relationship. I think I made the decision on the right terms and I took a little heat for it. But I just kept my mouth shut and let things happen. Sometimes you have to do things likes this.”

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by Coolmore,https://lanesend.com/ Lane's End, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, XBTV https://www.kentuckybred.org/and https://www.threechimneys.com/ West Point Thoroughbreds, Zoe Cadman, Randy Moss and Bill Finley discussed the latest decision handed down by the courts to the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) and speculated on whether or not HISA could survive the setback. This week's 3-year-old watch included a review of the GIII Southwest S., won impressively by Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo), and a discussion of Bob Baffert's domination of the 3-year-old ranks in California. In Saturday's GIII Robert B. Lewis S., Baffert trains all four horses in the field and trains 14 of the 16 horses nominated.

Click for the video version of the podcast or the audio-only version.

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“He's happy. He was bright and alert and seemed to be feeling pretty good about himself,” Mott reported from Payson Park Sunday morning.

Art Collector, winner of the 2021 GI Woodward S., had been a solid stakes performer before his emphatic 4 1/2-length victory in the Pegasus Saturday.

“It's strange. I knew he was doing well going into the race. I felt like he was training well, but you can't really predict the outcome in a race like that,” Mott said. “There's some nice horses in there and you don't know much about the rest of them. I knew our horse was doing well. Did he exceed expectations? I wouldn't say that because I didn't know what to expect.”

Plans for the 6-year-old remain up in the air.

“Anytime you've got a well-bred horse that's a Grade I-stakes winner, I think going to stud is always an option, and it's just a matter of timing when you do it. I can't say what was going on in [Lunsford's] head. I don't think that was the first thing that was on his mind though,” Mott said. “I think Bruce kind of entered the new year thinking he enjoys seeing him on the racetrack and I think he was prepared to continue on that route for the rest of the year if things got going well.”

Trainer Mike Maker reported Sunday that Three Diamonds Farm's Atone (Into Mischief) was also doing well following his breakthrough victory in Saturday's GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational.

“He came out of it in good order,” Maker said. “It's impossible not to be impressed by the way he ran.”

Maker mentioned the Mar. 25 GII Muniz Memorial Classic at Fair Grounds and May 6 GI Turf Classic at Churchill Downs as possible upcoming targets for Atone.

Atone capped a huge day at Gulfstream for Maker, who also ran sixth in the Pegasus Turf with 74-1 long shot King Cause (Creative Cause). Earlier in the day, Maker won the GIII Fred W. Hooper with Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro) and finished first, second, third and fifth in the GIII William L. McKnight led by winner Red Knight (Pure Prize).

On the day, Maker had three wins, one second and two thirds and earned $846,300 in purses. Prior to that he had a record of 29-4-3-4 with $154,615 in purses earned at the Championship Meet, which opened Dec. 26.

“It was a great day,” Maker said. “We were kind of in a slump there and to break out of it in that fashion felt great.”

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California invader Defunded (Dialed In), winner of last fall's GI Awesome Again S. and off as the 5-2 second choice, was 4 1/2 lengths back in second. Pacesetter Stilleto Boy (Shackleford) stayed on for third, the same position he filled in last year's renewal.

Alvarado, who rode the Bill Mott-trained Olympiad (Speightstown) to four graded-stakes victories and a runner-up finish behind Flightline (Tapit) in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic last year, was riding Art Collector for the first time in the Pegasus.

“We scripted it that way and it turned out that way,” Mott said. “That doesn't happen very often, but [jockey] Junior [Alvarado] rode him and did a great job. I told him just ride him like you ride Olympiad, and he rode him the same way.”

Mott continued, “He's done that before. These kinds of races, you just have to wait and see. These are competitive races. You get the horse as good as you can and hope the horse shows up.”

Art Collector raced in fourth around the clubhouse turn as Stilleto Boy narrowly led Defunded through an opening quarter in :23.61. Cruising along nicely in an outside third, Art Collector set his sights on the top two while three wide on the far turn, struck the front less than a quarter of a mile from home and put the race to bed from there to win going away.

Art Collector, winner of the 2021 GI Woodward S. at Belmont, followed a sixth-place finish in that term's GI Breeders' Cup Classic with a 12th-place finish in the G1 Saudi Cup. He got back on track with a wire-to-wire win in Saratoga's Alydar S. Aug. 4 and successfully defended his title in the GII Charles Town Classic S. Aug. 26. The bay concluded his 5-year-old campaign with a fifth-place finish in the GII Lukas Classic Oct. 1.

“Originally, we were thinking of going to the Cigar Mile with him, and October, end of October, he had a foot abscess,” Mott said. “So we had to scrap all our plans. I told Bruce, I said, well, we're going to miss that. Let's go to Florida.”

“[Trainer] Bill [Mott] and I have had a long-term relationship, back with Vision and Verse,” Lunsford said. “We talked about it, and I give Bill credit for this, he said we're going to try something different. Let's lay him off. And he just kept getting better and better.”

Favored MGISW Cyberknife (Gun Runner), a painful second in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland in November, failed to duplicate his sire's heroics from the same wide draw in post 10 and was a disappointing sixth. Cyberknife is scheduled to begin his career at stud for a fee of $30,000 this upcoming breeding season at Spendthrift Farm.

“He didn't look like he fired to me,” trainer Brad Cox said. “He had a little bit of a wide trip and at the three-eighths pole I could kind of tell he wasn't traveling. He broke well but they got away from him. It reminded me a little bit of the race at Parx when he ran third there. It wasn't to be. It didn't work out.”

Pedigree Notes:

Art Collector's second dam Bunting was bred by and began her career racing for Mrs. John Hay Whitney's Greentree Stables, finishing runner-up to Inside Information (Private Account) in the 1994 GI Ashland S. and the GI Black-Eyed Susan S. before she was purchased by Seth Hancock, on behalf of Bruce Lunsford and Lanny Holbrook, for $500,000 at that year's Keeneland November Sale. She was victorious in one of three subsequent appearances for Bill Mott before being retired and covered by Storm Cat.

Bunting was an immediate hit at stud, as her first foal became Vision and Verse, winner of the 1999 GII Illinois Derby and second to Lemon Drop Kid (Kingmambo) in the GI Belmont S. and GI Travers S. Bunting's next foal of import was her filly of 2003, Performing Diva (Storm Cat), second in the 2005 GII Darley Alcibiades S., and four years later, Bunting produced a filly by Distorted Humor. The versatile Distorted Legacy won the Sky Beauty S. on the dirt and was second in the GI Flower Bowl Invitational S. on the grass ahead of a close fourth in that year's GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

Distorted Legacy is the dam of three winners from four to race, including the Bill Mott-trained Classic Legacy (Into Mischief), a juvenile maiden winner at Aqueduct Dec. 3 with Junior Alvarado at the controls. She is also responsible for the 2-year-old filly Kingdom Come (Justify), a yearling filly by Medaglia d'Oro and was most recently covered by Gun Runner.

Art Collector, one of 16 worldwide Grade I/Group 1 winners for his late sire, is set to enter stud at Claiborne Farm upon the conclusion of his racing career.

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
PEGASUS WORLD CUP INVITATIONAL S. PRESENTED BY
BACCARAT-GI, $2,944,000, Gulfstream, 1-28, 4yo/up, 1 1/8m,
1:49.44, ft.
1–ART COLLECTOR, 123, h, 6, by Bernardini
                1st Dam: Distorted Legacy (SW & GISP, $421,466), by
                                Distorted Humor
                2nd Dam: Bunting, by Private Account
                3rd Dam: Flag Waver, by Hoist the Flag
O/B-Bruce Lunsford (KY); T-William I. Mott;
J-Junior Alvarado. $1,680,000. Lifetime Record: 21-11-1-0,
$4,012,490. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ ***Triple Plus***
   Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free
   Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Defunded, 123, g, 5, Dialed In–Wind Caper, by Touch Gold.
($210,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson
& Paul Weitman; B-Athens Woods LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert.
$560,000.
3–Stilleto Boy, 123, g, 5, Shackleford–Rosie's Ransom, by
Marquetry. ($420,000 3yo '21 FTKHRA). O-Steve Moger;
B-John & Iveta Kerber (KY); T-Ed Moger, Jr. $280,000.
Margins: 4HF, 1 1/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 15.50, 2.90, 45.50.
Also Ran: Last Samurai, Proxy, Cyberknife, Skippylongstocking,
White Abarrio, Get Her Number, Simplification, O'Connor (Chi),
Ridin With Biden. Scratched: Endorsed, Hoist the Gold.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO,
sponsored by TVG.

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“He went very well this morning,” said trainer Bill Mott. “I was happy with him. He galloped out well and cooled out. It's looking like he's coming into the race well.”

Art Collector, winner of the 2021 GI Woodward S. and two-time winner of the GII Charles Town Classic, has been off since finishing fifth in the Oct. 1 GII Lukas Classic. He was originally being considered for the Dec. 3 GI Cigar Mile at Aqueduct and the Dec. 31 GIII Harlan's Holiday S. at Gulfstream, the local prep for the Pegasus.

“We were thinking of the Cigar Mile, but we lost some time with him due to a foot abscess,” Mott said. “Then we considered the Harlan's Holiday, but we felt we just needed more time.”

Jet Set Racing Stable's Super Corinto (Arg) (Super Saver) breezed a half-mile in :49.03 (4/58) at Gulfstream Park Sunday morning in preparation for a start in the Pegasus World Cup.

The work was the fifth in a series of works since the 5-year-old captured a Dec. 8 optional-claiming allowance at Gulfstream. He was a Group 1 winner in Chile before being sent to trainer Amador Sanchez, for whom he finished second behind Chilean Group 1 winner O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman) in his U.S. debut Nov. 12.

Both South American imports, who took turns beating each other in Group 1 races before heading to the U.S., are among the 12 horses invited to the Pegasus World Cup.

Ivar (Brz) (Agnes Gold {Jpn}) turned in his penultimate work for the Jan. 28 GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational with a five-furlong work in 1:02.00 (2/15) at the Thoroughbred Training Center Saturday.

“Ivar is ready,” said trainer Paulo Lobo. “His work [Saturday] was very good, in company nice and easy, like he likes to do. His final work will be next Saturday here, and then we're going to ship him either that Monday or Tuesday.”

Third in the 2021 GI Breeders' Cup Mile, Ivar was second in last year's GI Woodbine Mile and GI Coolmore Turf Mile before ending the year with a fourth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland in his most recent start.

“I think his race was very good,” Lobo said of the 2022 Breeders' Cup Mile won by European standout Modern Games. “He lost to a very top horse. Javier Castellano was riding him for the first time. He rode a very good race, and since then we've pointed for the Pegasus Turf and we've never missed a day and never had a bad day. Everything that we planned is happening, no problems.”

Lobo said Justify My Love (Brz) (Agnes Gold {Jpn}), like Ivar owned by Bonne Chance Farm LLC and breeder Stud RDI LLC,  will compete in the GI Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Invitational on the Jan. 28 undercard.

Justify My Love was a Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed in Argentina before being sent to Lobo last year. Off a nine-month layoff, she was sixth in her first two starts before capturing a Churchill Downs' turf allowance race Nov. 19 in her most recent start.

“She's a very nice filly,” Lobo said. “It took a little while for her to adjust here, but she had a very nice win at Churchill Downs. She's in top form now, physically and mentally. I think she'll run well over there. The race is very tough, but I think she's going to enjoy a mile and an eighth. She's training super, this filly. Super.”

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Winner of the Woodward in 2021 over Maxfield (Street Sense), Art Collector notched a 107 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort. It was one of seven triple-digit Beyer figures he received in a career that has thus far recorded a tally of 20-10-1-0 and earnings of $2,332,490.

“We are thrilled to stand another exciting stallion prospect for longtime client Bruce Lunsford,” said Claiborne's Walker Hancock. “Art Collector has the qualities we look for in a stallion and we believe he will be very well received among breeders upon his retirement from racing.”

Art Collector began his career in the barn of Thomas Drury, Jr., for whom he raced at two and three and won both the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. and Runhappy Ellis Park Derby. He moved into the barn of Hall of Famer Bill Mott for his four- and five-year-old campaigns, where his victories included the Woodward and back-to-back scores in both the GII Charles Town Classic S. and Saratoga's Alydar S.

A fee for Art Collector will be announced upon retirement.

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Away in midpack and then scrubbed on to take over with swift strides entering the bend, the chestnut was two clear and cruising midway on the turn as well-backed Ninetyfour Expos (Outwork) was asked to narrow the gap with Wesley Ward trainee Red Hot Rod (Mendelssohn) also in pursuit. Those colts appeared to make contact at the head of the lane, but Botta Swing continued along by herself under confident Patrick Husbands handling. The veteran pilot kept her honest from there, and Botta Swing scampered away four lengths to the good. Red Hot Rod bested Ninetyfour Expos in the battle for second.

The winner's final time of :50.94 bested the previous listed track record of :51 flat earned in 2014 by debut winner and future multiple stakes winner Seffeara (Old Forester). That runner's effort came over Woodbine's old Polytrack surface, which was replaced by Tapeta in 2016.

Hoolie Racing Stable and Botta Swing's conditioner Barbara Minshall also campaigned the brilliantly precocious Dream It Is (Shackleford), a similarly sharp late May debut winner here in 2017 who added the My Dear S. that June before romping by nine lengths in Saratoga's GIII Schuylerville S.

Botta Swing, whose sire will be represented by two very live chances in next Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby, was just a $5,200 KEEJAN '20 in utero purchase. Her dam, who hit the board but never earned her diploma in four maiden claiming attempts routing on the grass, produced an Oscar Performance colt Apr. 11. Botta Swing's second dam was a full to GISW Personal Business, and her fourth dam was a full to none other than Secretariat.

2nd-Woodbine, C$97,600, Msw, 5-1, 2yo, 4 1/2f (AWT), :50.94, ft (NTR), 4 lengths.
BOTTA SWING, f, 2, Not This Time
                1st Dam: Lady of the Glen, by Purim
                2nd Dam: Secret Pact, by Private Account
                3rd Dam: Heavenly Match, by Gallant Romeo
Sales history: $48,000 RNA Ylg '21 FTKFEB; $160,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $48,088. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Hoolie Racing Stable, LLC & Bruce Lunsford; B-Kestrel Stud LLC (ON); T-Barbara J. Minshall.

Good luck Botta Swing in your debut race today at ⁦@WoodbineTB⁩ from your half-brother by Oscar Performance and your dam enjoying a peak of sunshine in Kentucky this morning. We bred the 2yo Not This Time filly, foaling her in Ontario and raising her here in Kentucky. pic.twitter.com/yAT1NoTnqM

— Brian Malloy (@brianwmalloy) May 1, 2022

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Speaking at a press conference at Del Mar on Nov. 1, Mott said Art Collector has handled his latest barn switch with ease. Though the basic routine is similar from one top level barn to another, there are changes – to feed, to hay, to equipment and noise levels – that can be upsetting to horses who are easily rattled.

“I guess we have to hope the horse adapts to our style,” said Mott. “Sometimes the horse actually adapts to us as much as we adapt to the horse. The horse fell right into the training regimen we had him in, and he was ready to run when we got him. We just continued on and he has done very well. At the moment, he looks great.”

Art Collector began his career in 2019 with Joe Sharp, then moved to the barn of Tommy Drury for his wins in the G2 Blue Grass and Ellis Park Derby. He finished a disappointing fourth in the G1 Preakness and eighth in the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile as a 3-year-old and earlier this summer made a switch to Mott.

Since transitioning to Mott's barn, Art Collector is three for three, with his most recent victory coming in the G1 Woodward over Maxfield and Dr Post.

Having Art Collector in the barn is something of a full circle moment for Mott, whose relationship with owner Bruce Lunsford goes back many years. Mott trained Bunting, the second dam of Art Collector, for Lunsford in the mid-1990s. Lunsford purchased her from the dispersal of Greentree Stable (Mrs. John Hay Whitney) at the 1994 Keeneland November sale, and Mott delivered a few decent allowance race placings with her before she retired to the breeding shed. Bunting would go on to foal Distorted Legacy, who produced Art Collector from a cross with Bernardini.

Mott said he has no concerns about the 1 1/4-mile distance. He saw strong, forward finishes in his previous 1 1/8-mile prep races. He also believes Art Collector has some flexibility in his running style; it's no secret Knicks Go will be the likely Classic pacesetter, and Mott thinks Art Collector will be happy to hang off the pace or stalk if he needs to – which would be a departure from his gate-to-wire wins in the Woodward or the Alydar. A lot of his racing strategy will ride on the post position draw Monday afternoon.

Mott has no illusions that the Classic will be easy work, despite his positive feelings about the colt's development – and he made no bones about the idea that a decent showing here could really boost his prospects for a stallion career.

“We know we're stepping into deep water,” Mott said. “We're trying a new group of horses, and they're the very best we're going to run up against. We're adding another furlong to what he's ever wrong and we've got to figure that out. You never know till they do it.”

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The 4-year-old Bernardini colt was put on the lead early by jockey Luis Saez, challenged on the outside by longshot Mo Gotcha. Those two set an opening quarter-mile time of :24.02 seconds, tracked by a tightly bunched pack of Forza Di Oro, Code of Honor, and favorite Maxfield, with Dr Post trailing by several lengths.

Positions went relatively unchanged across the Belmont backstretch, with Art Collector going through a half-mile in :47.78 seconds, a half-length ahead of Mo Gotcha

Contenders behind the lead duo began to lodge their challenges as the field headed into the turn, led by Forza Di Oro on the outside, joined by Dr Post making his move from far back and far outside. Meanwhile, Maxfield approached from the inside, and moved just off the rail path to challenge Art Collector, as Mo Gotcha faded. Code of Honor also started to threaten from the inside path.

While many horses loomed, none of them were able to get close to Art Collector, who added to his two-length cushion at the top of the stretch under steady urging from Saez. After using the whip in the right hand, Saez flipped his crop to the left hand and flashed it at Art Collector repeatedly in the final eighth of a mile, helping him fend off any semblance of a challenge from his rivals and draw off to win the Woodward by 1 1/2 lengths over Maxfield. Dr. Post ran evenly down the stretch to finish a length behind Maxfield in third.

Art Collector completed the 1 1/8-mile race in 1:49.22 over a fast main track. He paid $7.50 to win as the field's second choice.

With the victory, Art Collector improved his lifetime record to eight wins in 15 starts for earnings of $1,535,305. He's been unbeaten in three starts since joining the barn of trainer Bill Mott earlier this year, also including victories in the listed Alydar Stakes at Saratoga and the G2 Charles Town Classic Stakes.

Art Collector races as a homebred for Bruce Lunsford, out of the Grade 1-placed stakes-winning Distorted Humor mare Distorted Legacy.

To view the full Equibase chart, click here.

Stakes Quotes Courtesy Of NYRA Press Office

Bill Mott, winning trainer of Art Collector (No. 3, $7.50) and fifth-place Forza Di Oro (No. 6): “Nice race, strong race. He's put three of them together. He's a nice horse. He's just done enough to beat his company. Each one probably got a little tougher. It was tougher today, but he handled it.

“He was in great shape. He had the winter off and he was a fresh horse. They ran him at Churchill once going seven-eighths. It was an odd race. He didn't have the greatest trip. When he came to me, he had a race under his belt and was ready to go. He's done well since we had him. With racing, I think he's gotten stronger and better and today is the result.

“He's been lucky. Luis [Saez] gets him away well and gets him in good position and that's important.”

On going from three turns in the Charles Town Classic to one turn in the Woodward: “He's a pretty smart horse. He has a great disposition because it didn't confuse him.”

On potential start in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic: “I'm not afraid. I'll talk to [owner] Mr. [Bruce] Lunsford. He makes the final decision, but I don't know what we have to lose. I'd run him a mile and a quarter. A mile and an eighth hasn't been a problem for him, so why would I cut him back?”

Luis Saez, winning jockey aboard Art Collector (No. 3): “It was a wonderful race. I had a lot of confidence in my horse. He always tries so hard. He always comes with a run and finishes with run and today he ran his race. We expected to be on the lead. He broke so well and he was able to control the pace. That was an exciting race.

On his confidence turning for home: “I felt pretty good. I felt like I had a lot of power and a lot of horse and when I asked, he took off.”

Brendan Walsh, trainer of runner-up and beaten-favorite Maxfield (No. 2): “I don't know that we had a lot of excuses. We had a good spot even if it was down inside a little bit. All credit to the winner. He ran a good race and he's a good horse. We ran a good race to be second. This horse doesn't let us down ever.

“I don't think [the blinkers] made a whole lot of a difference. They definitely weren't a negative in any way. Jose [Ortiz] said he ran a good race and found the gears he wanted him to find, but he just got outrun by a horse that was better on the day.”

On a potential start in the Breeders' Cup Classic: “He still hasn't done anything wrong. Every race is different and our day will come, too. I can't see why not.”

Jose Ortiz, jockey aboard runner-up Maxfield (No. 2): “I had a good trip. I followed the horse that won and was second best.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr. jockey aboard third-place Dr Post (No. 1): “He ran great. He did everything right, he just got beat by two nice horses.”

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Sleepy Eyes Todd – trying to become the first repeat Classic winner since Researcher in 2010 – was sent to the lead and carved out opening fractions of 23.80 and 47.90 for the first quarter and half mile under rider Ry Eikleberry, with Art Collector glued to his flank for much of the early running.  With Saez and Art Collector seizing the lead, they appeared poised to draw off for a convincing win but were fought every step of the way by the world traveling Sleepy Eyes Todd before prevailing by a length and a half at the wire.

“I thought I had him [Sleepy Eyes Todd] turning for home,” said Saez.  “He looked like he was going pretty well and that's why I tried to attack pretty early.  Art Collector gave me that kick but he was fighting in the stretch.  It was just a great finish.”

In winning the Classic, Art Collector gave his Hall of Fame conditioner Bill Mott his first victory at the West Virginia oval.

California shipper Rushie finished 5 1/2 lengths back of Art Collector in third with another west coast presence in Restrainedvengence rounding out the superfecta.

On the wagering front, the $7,179,783 wagered on Friday night's Charles Town Classic card established a new single card handle record for the track, shattering the previous mark of $5,720,375 set on the 2019 Classic card.

“We couldn't be happier with the way the night unfolded, the way our horseplayers and fans responded and the record handle that resulted,” said Charles Town's Vice President of Racing and Sports Operations Erich Zimny. “It's a testament to the job that our Director of Racing, Charlie McIntosh, and the racing office staff did in putting such a deep and competitive card together that we can't wait to expand upon in 2022.”

The post Art Collector Takes Charles Town Classic As Solid Favorite appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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