Freehold, NJ --- Mustang Art doesn’t do sick days.
OK, that is a slight exaggeration. Mustang Art has missed a race here or there because of sickness. But what Mustang Art has never missed since beginning his career in January 2010 is a month without racing. That’s right. The 9-year-old male pacer has started at least one race in 74 consecutive months.
“It’s like I always say,” trainer Jim McGuire said with a laugh, “he kind of likes his job I guess.”
Mustang Art has won 42 of 238 career races, hit the board a total of 123 times, and earned $697,522. The gelding was claimed by his current connections --- owners Max Walton and Gregory Papaleo, both from Delaware, and Pennsylvania-based trainer McGuire --- for $15,000 in August 2011.
So far this year, Mustang Art has won three of five Delaware Special Handicap starts at Dover Downs and earned $43,950. On Monday (Feb. 8), he faces seven rivals in the $30,000 Open Preferred Handicap. Sean Bier will drive Mustang Art, leaving from post five.
“I’ve been in the business for quite some time and I’ve never had a horse that’s so tough,” the 72-year-old Walton said. “He’s unbelievable. He’s a rare horse. I never dreamed I’d have a horse like him.
“He’s given me a lot of great memories. He’s meant a lot to me.”
Mustang Art is a son of stallion Artiscape out of the mare Paula Seelster, who earned nearly 90 percent of her lifetime $583,613 in purses after the age of 4. She retired following her 8-year-old season in 2002. Mustang Art’s half-brother Wazzup Wazzup, an 8-year-old gelding, has earned $403,437 in his career and is 1-for-1 this season in Canada.
Unraced at age 2, Mustang Art won his career debut on Jan. 24, 2010 at Woodbine Racetrack. He continued racing in Canada until July 2011. A month after his arrival in the U.S., he was claimed by McGuire at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
“There were two claims on him the night I got him,” McGuire said. “I got lucky there.
“I was looking for something and he caught my eye. I looked him over and decided to take a shot. When he turned 5, he started getting better and better. But he showed high speed before then. His mother was a pretty good mare and (Mustang Art) had a couple brothers that were decent racehorses also. I like to look at the dams and what they produce.”
Mustang Art has made at least 41 starts in each of the past four years, competing primarily at Dover Downs and Pocono, and set his career mark of 1:48.3 in 2013 at Pocono. According to the U.S. Trotting Association’s Information and Research Department, tens of thousands of horses have raced in the past 25 years but only 222 have made 40-plus starts in at least four consecutive years.
“He’s quite an athlete; he’s very light on his feet,” McGuire said. “He takes pretty good care of himself. He doesn’t require a lot of work. Of course with 40-some starts every year he keeps himself pretty tight. He likes to go out in the paddock for a couple hours every day and he jogs a little bit. He seems to be happy doing that.
"He’s real nice to be around. He doesn’t do anything wrong. A kid could take care of him.”
Mustang Art’s three wins this season have come at odds of 33-1, 13-1 and 16-1.
“That’s been amazing,” McGuire said, laughing. “Everybody is talking about that now. And he had three different drivers (Brett Miller, Marcus Miller, and Bier) in those three wins. It seems like he knows what he’s doing on his own.”
The plan for this year is for Mustang Art to continue his workmanlike routine through the meets at Dover and Pocono, with perhaps occasional trips to Harrah’s Philadelphia.
“He may get a short break in between (Dover and Pocono) but he usually stays pretty good,” McGuire said. “I’ve had some decent horses over the years, but he’s been the best one I’ve ever had. He’s been a pleasure.”