Stallion Review - Art Official
Art Official
BREEDING
Art Official is by Art Major from Naughty Shady Lady by Falcon Seelster from Safety Belle by Safe Arrival from Tika Belle by Skipper Walt.
Sire
Art Official is by Art Major who is by the legendary super sire, Artsplace, and Art Major is from the prolific producing Nihalator mare in Perfect Profile who produced 13 foals for 11 winners of over $5 million in stakes. As well as Art Major she has produced the full brother Perfect Art whose 716 foals have won over $13,653,246 in Australia and Western Edition (by Western Hanover) who stood in Queensland and has 115 three-year-olds and older who have won $665,848 to date in Australia.
Racing from two to four years Art Major started 49 times for a fantastic record of 32 wins and 9 placings for a massive $3,273,217 in stakes with a 1:48.4m record. Art Major is the richest son of Artsplace. His durability is obvious when you consider that he won his last three starts on the racetrack and those wins were in the $824,000 Canadian Pacing Derby, the $729,730 Breeders Crown and the $350,000 US Pacing Championship.
Art Major - Stud Statistics
Eligible to race - 892
Winners - 614
$1,000,000+ - 6
$750,000+ - 13
$500,000+ - 32
$250,000+ - 70
$100,000+ - 207
Sub 1:50 - 31
Average earnings per starter $101,625
Average earning per eligible horse - $85,788
Total earnings to date $76,523,318
Dam
Art Official is from the race winning Falcon Seelster mare Naughty Shady Lady 1:55.4s ($41,473) dam of six foals for six winners before been exported to Great Britain. Her first foal was the race winning mare Indecorum (by Rustler Hanover) 1:56.4s ($8,350). Indecorum was sold as a yearling for $80,000 at the Forest City Sale in Canada. Her second foal was the Apaches Fame gelding Fame And Fortune ($18,230) who was sold as a yearling for $52,000.. Her third foal was the Cams Card Shark gelding Shady Shark ($22,650) who sold as a yearling for $65,000 once again at the Forest City Sale. Then came Maid in Shade ($7,576) and Art
Official 1:47 ($2,085,185) who were both sold for just $10,000 each as yearlings.
Art Official's second dam is the qualified Safe Arrival mare Safety Belle T 1:59.4f. She is the dam of seven winners including the full brother to Naughty Shady Lady (dam of Art Official), Shady Rival 1:55.2 ($112,515). Safety Belle T also left Shady Legend (Falcons Future) 1:52.3z ($232,770), Mr Shady (Towners Big Guy) 1:54.3f ($81,924), Shady Time Gal (Towner's Big Guy) 1:57h ($55,907) and Four Starzzz Luck (Jate Lobell) 1:55.1f ($36,026). A Jate Lobell daughter Miss Rose left the very good Keystone Raptor 1:50.1s ($444,964) and Keystone Mystique 1:52.2h ($186,096).
Art Official's third dam is the Skipper Walt race winning mare Tika Belle p2, 2:00 ($28,688). Tika Belle is the dam of the great Falcon Seelster mare Shady Daisy 1:51 and 53 wins ($1,807,755). Shady Daisy won the 1992, 1993 and the 1994 O'Brien Awards and USHWA Dan Patch Awards for older pacing mares. Shady Daisy herself produced the very good Daisy's Boy 1:49.4 ($513,478) as well as the unraced producing mare Shes A Daisy, dam of Upfront Hannahsboy 1:49.2f ($333,995), Up Front Dan 1:54.2f ($63,547) and Up Front Gal 1:55.3f ($3,495).
Tika Belle also left the race winning Sydney Hill mare Shady Katie 1:59.1h ($41,254) that produced the outstanding Falcon Seelster race horse and now stallion at stud Shady Character 1:51.1 ($1,225,905) and Heathers Halo 1:52.1 ($167,988) dam of a host of winners including Hincapie Hanover 1:50.1f ($270,720), Up Front Mustang 1:51.3f ($101,271), When Two Fools Met 1:54.2f ($66,366), Tommy Shark 1:52.1 ($52,164) and Im Real Good 1:53.3 ($21,000).
Shady Character 1:51.1 (by Falcon Seelster) stood at stud and produced 306 horses eligible to race for total stakes of $13,348,995. He has left 43 winners of over $100,000 and one winner of over $500,000 and has 4 sub 1:50 horses as well.
Shady Katie also left the good producing mares Shady Romance (Falcon Seelster) dam of Really Shady 1:53.1f ($174,465) and Shady Idea 1:52.3f ($138,326), Shady Babie (Jate Lobell) dam of six winners including Karbonator 1:51.1f ($371,719), Stinger Blue Chip 1:51s ($204,677) and Sha Delight 1:51.3f ($138,326), and Jk Hello Dolly (Cams Card Shark) dam of Reasonable Force 1:52.1s ($111,730).
Tika Belle produced three live foals, all mares. They are Safety Belle T, the grand dam of Art Official 1:47 ($2,085,185), Shady Daisy 1:51 ($1,807,755) and Shady Katie, dam of Shady Character 1:51.1 ($1,225,905). This is an outstanding and unique record for any broodmare.
COMMENT
This is not what the purists would call a "blue blood" pedigree but it is an extremely successful one never the less. The third dam only left three foals which were all mares and three champions, Art Official 1:47 ($2,085,185), Shady Daisy 1:51.1 ($1,807,755) and Shady Character 1:51.1 ($1,225,905) trace to her within two generations, which is an outstanding achievement and better than a lot of the so called "blue blood" families achieve. Being bred the way he is, Art Official is a great outcross sire for a lot of mares in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere.
RACE RECORD
Art Official's two-year-old record
Art Official qualified in 1:59 at Balmoral Park which is also where he made his race day debut in the $26,000 Hanover Colt Stakes where he finished a creditable second in a handy 1:56. Art Official followed that with a couple of non-descript runs in two-year-old non winners races before finishing fifth of six in the Dream Maker Series at Mohawk.
From there Art Official upped his performance a lot, finishing third in the $48,700 Fox Stakes at the Indiana State Fair in 1 :55.1 which was followed soon after by another solid third in the $52,000 Hayes Memorial at the Du Quoin State Fair in a smart 1:52.2. Next up Art Official was again placed third in a $53,000 Stakes race at Indiana Downs in 1:55.
Then it was off to Lexington where Art Official ran fifth twice before finishing third in the $93,500 International Stallion Stakes in a season's best of 1:51.3.
From there Art Official ran second in an elimination of the American National in 1:53.1 before coming back and running third to Mucho Sleazy ($905,466) in the $145,000 American National Final in 1:52.
The last stops on a busy season for Art Official was at the Meadowlands where he ran a creditable second to Sand Shooter ($471,997) in his elimination of the Breeders Crown in 1:52 before being slightly disappointing when running fifth in the final to Santanna Blue Chip ($1,660,943). Art Official went for a well-earned spell with a record of 15 starts for no wins, three seconds and seven thirds for stakes of $104,333. His best time at two was 1:51.3.
Art Official's three-year-old record
First up Art Official won a couple of low grade non-winners of one and two at Balmoral Park. In his second race he paced in 1:51.4 which gave a hint of things to come. From there he was second in his elimination of the Berrys Creek in 1:55 before finishing fourth after a brutal trip in the final to Blueridge Western ($1,611,534) in 1:50.2. Then he went back to Balmoral Park for a non-winners of three which he won in 1:53 as a prelude to a gutsy second in the $100,000 Burlington Stakes in Canada at Mohawk to Dali ($1,436,363) in 1:50.4.
His next start was a real pointer to the the progression he was making as he finished second to Somebeachsomewhere 1:46.4 ($3,328,755) in his elimination of the $1.5 million North American Cup in 1:49.2 at Mohawk. Even though he ran seventh in the North American Cup final to Somebeachsomewhere, the run was full of merit as he drew bad at barrier seven and was back most of the way before rushing home in 26.3 the fastest last quarter in the race.
From there Art Official won a $33,000 Hanover Pace at Balmoral Park in 1:50.1 as a prelude to the $500,000 Hoosier Cup at Hoosier Park, Art Official was too good for Dali this time, winning in 1:51.1. This was Art Official's first major stakes win.
It was at this point that the legendary driver Ron Pierce became part of the Art Official camp and in the remaining twelve starts at three with Ron in the sulky, Art Official won ten and was placed twice.
The first start with Ron Pierce driving, was in the elimination of the Meadowlands Pace when Art Official finished a great second to Somebeachsomewhere in 1:49.2. The final of the $1,100,000 Meadowlands Pace that year is considered by many pundits to be one of the greatest races in the history of the sport. This writer was on track for this outstanding and unbelievable race that is now regarded as "the race of the decade."
Watch - Race Of The Decade, 2008 Meadowlands Pace
Watch - 2008 Meadowlands Pace Behind The Scenes
In what is perhaps the greatest race in Meadowlands history, Art Official edges Somebeachsomewhere in a world record 1:47 mile. Art Official worked hard for the lead in a brutal first quarter of 26 seconds flat and to think the Somebeachsomewhere attacked Art Official three wide at the half in a world record 51.3 and took the lead at the three-quarters in 1:19.1 and still fight to the wire against a courageous and great Art Official in that world record 1:47 mile was something unreal and unbelievable to see but true. You have to see it to believe it! Art Official won fair and square by a neck to beat a gallant Somebeachsomewhere
for the first and only time that Somebeachsomewhere ever got beat.
Art Official then went on a rampage through the three-year-old ranks. Next up was the $150,000 Moncircle Pace at Indiana Downs which he won in 1:49.4. From there he kept fit with a soft win in a $28,000 Stakes race at the Indiana State Fair in 1:51.3.
His next run was in an elimination of the Cane Pace on the half mile Freehold Raceway which he won in a then record of 1:50.4. He backed that up with a win in the $392,880 Cane Pace final over Badlands Nitro ($1,605,638) in 1:51.1.
Watch - 2008 Cane Elimination
Watch - 2008 Cane Pace 1:51.1
From there he went to the Little Brown Jug where even though he won his elimination in 1:52.3, he was noticeably sore and raced poorly by his standards in the Little Brown Jug Final where he ran third to Shadow Play. With a couple of nagging issues sorted, Art Official went on to end his season in style winning his next start in the $134,000 Bluegrass Stakes at Lexington in 1:48.3 followed a week later when he won the $293,000 Tattersalls Pace in an identical 1:48.3. That brought his busy three year old season to a close during which he had 20 starts for 13 wins, four seconds and a third for $1,502,395 in stakes with a best time
of 1:47.
Watch - 2008 Red Mile $134,000 Bluegrass Pace 1:48
Art Official's four-year-old record
Art Official qualified at Balmoral Park in 1:55.4 before starting his season off at the same venue with a win in a Free For All in 1:51. Next up was the $200,000 Dan Patch at Hoosier Park where Art Official finished third to Mister Big ($4,143,492) in 1:50.1. That was followed by a second to the great Won The West ($3,977,956) in 1:48.4 in a $35,000 Free For All at the Meadowlands.
Then came the $688,000 Bill Haughton Memorial at the Meadowlands in which Art Official had no luck flashing home for fourth to Shark Gesture ($2,818,021) posting his time of 1:49.1 with the fastest last quarter in the race. From there he went to the Chester track where Art Official won his elimination of the Ben Franklin in 1:49.2 over Won The West before finishing a game second to Mister Big ($4,143,492) in the $500,000 final of the Ben Franklin run in a world record 1:48. That was the fastest ever mile on a five-eights track. Art Official worked hard to lead with a brutal 25.2 first quarter, he got to the half in 54.1 and the
three-quarters in 1:20.4 before finally giving way in the final strides to Mister Big.
This writer believes that The Ben Franklin field that day with eight pacers was probably the richest ever field of great race horses combined. The combined earnings of all those pacers that ran that day is a staggering $23,126,371. The field included Mister Big ($4,143,492), Won The West ($3,977,956), Bettor Sweet ($2,816,687), Foiled Again ($6,773,525), Noble Falcon ($1,156,936) and Western Shore ($1,278,092).
Watch - $500,000 Ben Franklin Final (Brilliant 2nd)
Next up he had no luck in the $328,000 US Pacing Championship won by Shadow Play, getting too far back flying home in 26.2 for fifth in an overall time of 1:48.2.
Back to one of his favourite tracks, The Meadowlands, Art Official won a $35,000 open in 1:47.4 defeating Mister Big and Shark Gesture. He then finished a creditable third in the $500,000 Breeders Crown Final after leading most of the way and getting caught in the last few strides by Won The West in 1:47.1. Those hard runs close together seemed to take the edge off Art Official who was disappointing in his heat (4th) and final (9th) of the Canadian Derby at Mohawk. He was not much better in his next few starts finishing sixth in an invitational at Indiana Downs and then third in his heat and sixth in the final of the $149,000
Allerage Pace at Lexington.
Art Official bounced back winning a $35,000 Open at Woodbine in 1:52 and then a week later he ran second to Bigtime Ball ($1,625,073) in a $100,000 invitational at Woodbine. From there he went to Indiana Downs where Art Official won the $86,000 Indiana Downs Pacing Derby in 1:51.3 and backed that up a week later with a second in an invitational in 1:51. His last lifetime start was in the $200,000 American National at Balmoral Park where he ran a great second to Won The West. The also ran brigade that day included not only Mister Big and Shark Gesture but also such great horses as Eagle Luck 1:48.3 ($1,271,160), Thisbigdogwilfight
1:49.1 ($978,789), Booze Cruzin 1:49 ($945,682), Mucho Sleazy 1:48 ($905,466) and Robin I Scoot 1:49.3 ($838,862).
Art Official ended his four year old season having faced the starter 19 times for 5 wins, 5 seconds and 3 thirds for $476,157 in stakes and a best time of 1:47.1.
As Art Official entered the stallion ranks he did so with an overall record of 54 Starts for 18 wins, 12 seconds and 11 thirds for stakes of $2,085,185 and a best time of 1:47 on a mile track and 1:50.4 on a half mile track.
COMMENT
Art Official was a nice two-year-old who was placed in 1:51.3 and won $104,333 but looked a notch below the top liners at that age. At three he again started slowly but from the time he won the $500,000 Hoosier Cup and Ron Pierce jumped in the bike, the harness racing world got to see the real Art Official. From that time he won ten from twelve with two placings and included in his scalps was the best race horse of the time in Somebeachsomewhere. His purse earnings at three of $1,502,395 are a testament to how good he was at three. At four Art official came back to race against some of the best horses of the last 20 years. It was
a great crop that included such stars as Mister Big ($4,143,492), Won The West ($3,977,956) and Shark Gesture ($2,818,021) to mention just three and Art Official mixed it with them all season. All in all Art Official had a great racetrack career which started slowly aa a two-year-old but exploded into life at ages three and four.
Watch - 2008 $500,000 Hoosier Cup
ART OFFICIAL - NORTH AMERICAN STALLION RECORD
Art Official's first crop were born in 2011 and are Pennsylvania bred
He produced 84 foals, 37 colts and 47 fillies from 135 mares bred.
This crop is headed by the very good three-year-old Lets Drink On It 1:48.3 ($597,804) winner of the American National Final and the elimination of the Metro Pace as a two-year-old. As a three-year-old this year he won the elimination of the Little Brown Jug and was a very unlucky second in the Final. He also won an elimination of the Adios and ran second in the Windy City Pace. As we go to print Lets Drink On It had just ran third in the elimination of the Breeders Crown at the Meadowlands and will be a major factor in the $531,000 Final later this week.
Also in this crop of three-year-olds Art Official has produced the good filly Cinamony 1:50.3f ($195,494), Sister Stroll 1:54.1 ($120,696), Wicked Business 1:52.3f ($119,029) and Xtra Desire 1:52.4 ($95,613).
Eligible to race - 84
Winners - 40
$500,000+ - 1
$250,000+ - 1
$100,000+ - 4
Sub 1:50 - 1
Average earnings per starter $30,956.
Average earnings per eligible horse - $22,111.
Total earnings to date $1,857,347.
Art Official's second crop were born in 2012 and are Pennsylvania bred.
He produced 42 foals, 19 colts and 23 fillies from 74 mares bred.
This crop is headed by the filly Keystone I Wish 1:57f ($37,727). Art Official has the eight winners to date from this second crop.
Art Official's third crop were born in 2013 and are also Pennsylvania bred. The crop numbers just 28 foals (11 colts and 17 fillies) from 46 mares bred.
Art Official was then moved to Ohio where he bred 108 mares in 2013.
COMMENT
Art Official has been up against it from the word go and is struggling to make an impact in Pennsylvania. To be pitted against Somebeachsomewhere and Well Said is hard enough for a young stallion but to be competitive you need to attract support from the broodmare owners with the quality mares and Art Official has never had those in his short career to date. Art Official has shown that he can leave that elite level horse with both Let's Drink On It 1:48.3 ($597,804) and Cinamony 1:50.3 ($190,494) being high class three year olds this year but that on its own won't be enough to really resurrect his siring career in North
America.
AUSTRALIAN STALLION STATISTICS
His oldest crop in Australia numbers just ten foals and they are three-year-olds in the current season which is two months old in Australia. From that small crop, Art Official already has two smart winners in Jilliby Royal who is two from two to date with a best time of 1:57.7 and Bevendale Boy who won at two and was good enough to make last season's Australian Pacing Gold Final.
We are at a bit of a loss to explain the small first crop but Art Official has 66 two year olds this season and 42 yearlings waiting in the wings in Australia.
COMMENT
With such a small first crop it is nigh on impossible to make any judgments but the couple of smart ones he does have from that small crop are not hurting his cause. Maybe it will be another 12 months in Australia before you can get a better idea of how he is going overall.
NEW ZEALAND STALLION STATISTICS
His first crop which are now three months into their three-year-old season number 49 in New Zealand and have been fairly quiet to date. Art Official has had two fillies win lately in Grumpy Possum who was place twice before winning at Auckland in her three New Zealand starts before her sale to Australia where she has won her only start to date in 1:56.8. Drive The Dream won at Wyndham on debut after sitting parked most of the journey and looks promising.
A few who were exported to Australia have been doing a good job including Taj Bromac who has had three starts for two wins and a third in Australia with a best time of 1:57.7 and Kasey Kahne who was placed four times from five starts at two including a third in the $102,000 Pearl Classic at Gloucester Park.
Twelve of Art Officials first crop have already qualified and several, such as Articulight 2:01.6 and Lady Warhol 2:00.7 look early winners. Art Official has 80 two year olds this year, the 2014/2015 racing season, and 44 yearlings waiting in the wings.
COMMENT
A bit like their sire, they are taking a bit of time to get going. Art Official has several smart types who have qualified but yet to race so hard to make a definitive judgement just yet.
POSITIVES
Bred the way he is, Art Official is a great outcross sire for most of the standardbred mares on the planet. He has a race record that says he deserves a shot at being an elite sire. Art Official has shown that he has the ability as a sire to leave that elite level competitor and he has several smart fillies on the track which is always a plus for a young stallion.
NEGATIVES
Art Official was never at his best until the latter part of his three year old year and a lot of his progeny look like being the same as their sire. That makes it incredibly hard to make it in a commerical stallion world where being able to run early is so important. Another factor affecting his performance in North America is the lack of quality broodmares that he has attracted in his time at stud. Some of that is due to being born in the same year as Somebeachsomewhere and some of that is due to his non "blue blood" maternal family but looks like it could have affected his chances to make it as a commercial sire.
OVERVIEW
Art Official is at a bit of a cross roads in his siring career. He has shown that he has the potential to sire elite level horses but he needs a few things to change if he is going to make it to the next level as a sire. Taking on Somebeachsomewhere and Well Said head on was always going to be very difficult and Art Official has taken a lead from several other stallions who have moved states to establish themselves by moving to Ohio where he will get much more opportunity to prove himself. A racehorse with his record was welcomed with open arms in Ohio in 2013 where he served 108 mares and as the biggest stake winning son of
champion sire Art Major, he has plenty to offer. To reach the top as a sire sometimes you have to go sideways first and we think that is what Art Official needed to do to have a shot at reaching his potential.
Art Official has received some lovely mares at stud in the Southern Hemisphere and has some very promising horses on the track but it will be another 12 months yet before we have a definitive view on how he has fared down under.
OVERALL RATING
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