After having to settle for the place money behind Its Pointless in back-to-back Open Paces this month, Nick Roland changed tactics with Alilthundadownunda in last weekend’s Arnstine Pace and got the job done against his heavily-favored rival.
In the previous two starts Alilthundadownunda had race on or near the lead and been overhauled by the long-fused Its Pointless, but he actually sat behind that foe in the Arnstine and rode a second-over trip to prevail by a length.
Both pacers went powerful miles, with the 1:51 4/5 final clocking being the fastest tour of the oval this season.
Meanwhile, Divine Art, who is best known for rattling off 17 straight wins two years ago, added the Rod Knittel Pace to her impressive resume two weeks ago.
Owned, trained and driven by 79-year-old Gerry Longo, the 6-year-old daughter of Outrageous Art was posing for pictures for the 38th time from 104 starts and pushed her earnings over the $425,000 mark in the process.
Sent off at 5-1 in the Knittel, Divine Art did it the hard way as she sat third early for Longo, was up first-over to engage odds-on Graceful Horizon and put in a tremendous stretch surge to win clear by three lengths in a 1:53 3/5 tour.
