Artemus Citylimits adds blinkers in bid to get over hump; $53,679 pick six carryover
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ELMONT, N.Y. – After watching Artemus Citylimits run second four times in his last five starts, trainer Mike Maker hopes the addition of blinkers can help the 5-year-old gelding find the winner’s circle in Thursday’s second-level allowance/optional $62,500 claiming turf sprint feature at Belmont Park.
The six-furlong race goes as race 7 on a nine-race card that begins at 3:05 p.m. as twilight racing will be offered each Thursday through June 30.
Thursday’s Belmont card includes the first 2-year-old race of the year on this circuit (race 1) and a $53,679 pick six carryover. The pick six begins with race 4 (4:40 p.m. Eastern).
Last June 11 at Belmont, Artemus Citylimits won a $32,000 claiming race – beating three horses – going six furlongs on turf. He was claimed out of the race, though the claim was voided by the track veterinarian.
Artemus Citylimits was then put through the Fasig-Tipton selected horses of racing age sale in July, and Maker purchased him on behalf of Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher. In seven starts for those connections, Artemus Citylimits has four seconds and three thirds.
In his most recent start, Artemus Citylimits lost a tough bob to finish second behind Infinite, who returned from an 11-month layoff for Wesley Ward to record a career-best 91 Beyer Speed Figure.
In that race, Artemus Citylimits showed good speed from an outside draw, stalked the pace a length back, then dueled with Infinite through the final furlong to just get beat.
“It’s just about every race he looks like he’s a winner and then hangs or whatever and gets himself beat,” Maker said. “Nothing to lose by trying” blinkers.
Maker also sends out Cucina, a 5-year-old gelding who has not won since September 2020 on dirt at Saratoga, 11 starts ago.
Fauci makes his 4-year-old debut in this spot after winning just once from seven starts in 2021. That win came in his only non-stakes try, a first-level allowance at Monmouth. Last August, he was beaten a neck by Arrest Me Red in the Mahony Stakes at Saratoga. Arrest Me Red has since won three more stakes, including the Grade 2 Twin Spires Turf Sprint last Saturday at Churchill Downs.
Fauci shows solid works at Payson Park and a quick half-mile in 47.60 seconds over Saratoga’s Oklahoma training for his first start since Oct. 29, when he dead-heated for third in the Oyster Bay Stakes at Aqueduct.
“He’s a horse that when you ask him to do a little bit of work he’s very enthusiastic and he’ll do it willingly,” trainer Phil Antonacci said. “Any time we work our horses, we like to keep them in the bridle the whole time. We couldn’t ask him to do have done it any easier.”
Fauci dead-heated for third with Maxwell Esquire, who makes his return from a November layoff in this spot. Maxwell Esquire returned from a similar layoff last April to win an optional $80,000 claiming race here when not offered for the claiming price. He is in for the tag Thursday.
Nuclear Option and Duress complete the field.
◗ Three colts and two fillies make up the field for the first 2-year-old race of the year. The filly Magic Beauty, a half-sister to debut-winning colt Syndegaard, goes out for James Chapman, while Ever a Rebel, a half-brother to the graded stakes winner Boardroom by Bolt d’Oro, debuts for Wesley Ward.