Aussie star Lochinvar Art set to qualify in USA

The much-anticipated US track appearance by one of the best harness racing horses to come from Down Under will happen this weekend.

Australian superstar pacer Lochinvar Art (Modern Art) will head to the qualifying trials at the Meadowlands on Saturday as a key step to resuming his racing career in the United States.

Lochinvar Art had a minor bleed at his final Australian run in September last year, and owner Newcastle businessman Kevin Gordon elected to send him to North America where the rules allow racing on an anti-bleeding agents.

The champion arrived at the stables of Shane and Lauren Tritton at Pine Bush NY in October and Shane said he could not be happier with the stallion’s progress to date.

“Arty is a special horse – he is happy and healthy.  We’ve let him acclimatise and taken our time with him, which is important, and he has done everything we’ve asked,” Tritton said.

“Lauren will drive him in the qualifier and most likely in his first race start.  There’s no doubting she would love to hang onto the drive, and I’d love her to drive him, but we are aware the racing is a little different over here,” he said.

“Our regular driver Jason Bartlett has been doing a great job for the past 12 months.”

The qualifiers are run under race conditions, with qualifying horses required to do everything right and run a sub 1:59 mile rate.

“He will have a few runs with the aim being the Borgata series in March.  It’s run over six weeks and is the equivalent of the (Australasian) Inter Dominion,” Tritton said.

“Heats are worth $50,000 and the top eight point-scorers go into the final at Yonkers worth somewhere between $600,000 and $800,000,” he said.

“It can be a bit tricky at Yonkers if the top horses draw the inside.  We qualified with Nandolo last year, but drew wide and couldn’t get into it at all.  That will be the main target, but we will just take things one step at a time.”

Lochinvar Art has drawn barrier 1 in his trial, in a field of nine.  He is one of five the Trittons will take to Meadowlands on Saturday, including another two ex Aussies in Muscle Factory and Majorly Sexy, along with Irish trotter Harry Knows.

Lochinvar Art has had a career 56 starts for 28 wins; 16 seconds and six thirds for earnings of $A1,405,516.

Gordon said he reached the decision to send Lochinvar Art to the U.S. in the best interests of the horse and a thorough vet check on Arty’s arrival gave a glowing report.

“There’s not a sore bone or muscle in his body,” Gordon said.

“Obviously the Tritton’s can use Lasix for the bleed issue he had back here and they had to do a bit of work on his hooves with brittle walls – they’re not using nails and instead the shoes are glued on with the aid of a fibreglass-type wrap.

“I know the horse is feeling great because Shane told me he occasionally tries to kick Lauren out of the cart!  I’m more than happy to have Lauren drive him at the races, but that’s their call.”

Gordon said he was still comfortable with his decision to send his superstar to North America.

“We could have stayed here and poked around in low grade free-for-falls, but the chances of the horse bleeding again would have always been in the back of your mind. I really believe I would have retired him instead,” he said.

“The decision to send him to the US was made easier by a few people in the sport who I have much respect for. They just told me that I owed it to the horse. The vets do all the treatment over there.

“Shane and Lauren are very happy with him.  I’m excited to see what he can do over there, but if it doesn’t work out, he will come home and go to stud at Luke and Belinda McCarthy’s. One thing is for sure he will always have a home for life here with me.”

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink