Irish Art crafty in his stakes debut

Artie Schiller’s 3-year-old colt Irish Art proved easily best with a 3 1/4-length win in his stakes debut in the $75,840 Uniformity S. at Santa Anita Park.

The bay sophomore was also making his first start on Santa Anita’s 6 ½ furlong downhill turf course, but had no trouble negotiating the unique configuration. Stalking in second for the first half-mile, Irish Art made the lead early in the stretch and pulled away in the final furlong under a hand ride by Joel Rosario. The final time on the firm turf was a very rapid 1:11.62.

Irish Art, who is trained by Carla Gaines for Warren Williamson, is now 2-2-0 in five starts, earning $101,480. The colt was bred in Kentucky by Liberation Farm, J. Stuart, P. Bance and J. Donaldson.

Irish Art was a $100,000 purchase at the 2009 Fasig-Tipton summer yearling sale, the highest price of four Artie Schiller offerings at the auction. He is out of Irish Linnet, earner of $1.1 million who won or placed in 27 stakes, including five wins in the Yaddo H.