Dr. Fager and Groovy, both champion sprinters, were two of the fastest horses that ever lived. Now, Artax is faster than them both.
Last May in the Carter Handicap at Aqueduct, the 4-year-old son of Marquetry ran seven furlongs in 1:20 flat to break the track record set by Dr. Fager in 1968. Yesterday, in the Grade 2, $250,000 Forest Hills Handicap, he ran six furlongs in 1:07.3, a tick faster than Groovy’s previous track mark set in 1987.
“He’s the best sprinter in the country,” Artax’s owner Ernie Paragallo said. “There not another horse that can beat him.”
“[Artax] is just a bottomless pit,” said Frank Alexander, trainer of Good and Tough, who finished 6 lengths back in second. “He just keeps running.”
Coupled with his 31/4-length victoy in the Grade 1 Carter and his 3-length score in the Grade 1 Vosburgh at Belmont three weeks ago, the Forest Hills tour de force stamps Artax the likely favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint Nov. 6 at Gulfstream Park.
“He runs best on three weeks between races,” Paragallo said. “We’ve run him fresh and he doesn’t buy it.”
“He’s an amazing animal,” said trainer Lou Albertrani. “He loves what he does. He will not miss an oat tonight.”
Artax has been a hard-luck horse much of the year, with five seconds and a third to go along with his three wins from 14 starts. After winning the Carter, he went to the Maryland Breeders’ Cup on Preakness Day at Pimlico, where he was the target of a lunatic who left the infield crowd, walked onto the track and threw a punch at him as he ran by. That defeat was followed by five more before Artax finally broke through in the Vosburgh.
Yesterday, Artax came away sharply under Jorge Chavez and quickly took the lead, pressed by the previously unbeaten Bet Me Best through a first quarter-mile in :22.1 and a half in :44.3.
Turning for home, Artax opened daylight on the field and cruised home, the final quarter in a brilliant :23 flat.
Artax paid $5.70 as the favorite in the field of seven 3-year-olds and up. Good and Tough rallied along the inside to complete a $32 exacta, with Intidab third.