Artie B Good is favored to win Oak Tree Juvenile

Artie B Good won his first two starts like he might be something special but in a different manner than the vast majority of 2-yearolds.

“Most early precocious horses that do well are often horses that go wire-to-wire, so he’s the exception,” trainer William E. Morey said. “He can come through horses and finish.”

Artie B Good ran in next-tolast place early in his debut July 16 at the State Fair before rallying inside his opponents in the stretch for a 2-length victory. He was last early in the Jess Jackson Juvenile Stakes on Aug. 13 at the Sonoma County Fair before rallying between horses en route to a 1-length victory.

Such a finishing style in those sprints should mean Artie B Good will relish the distance of 1 mile, 70 yards that he encounters in the $75,000 Oak Tree Juvenile on Saturday at the Alameda County fairgrounds.

“We’ve always thought he would go longer even before we ran him,” Morey said. “I think it’s in his pedigree and his nature. He does what the rider wants him to do. It’s easy for exercise riders and (jockey Frank Alvarado) to rate him and get him to finish. He’s been training well and galloping out strongly in his long workouts.”

The 2-1 morning-line favorite Saturday, Artie B Good hasn’t faced any of his seven opponents, but he is the only entrant with more than one win. The victories by Axelrod, Madi’s Thunderbird and Respect the Hustle came in 1-mile races, and Night at the Opera overcame a slow start to win his 5½-furlong debut by 3¼ lengths.

“I’ve won a handful of 2-yearold stakes over the years, but this guy has as much promise as any,” Morey said. “Of course, with any 2-year-old turning 3 (every North American thoroughbred adds a year each Jan. 1), you hope they’re good enough for that series at Golden Gate Fields.”

The 1-mile Gold Rush Stakes is Dec. 2, and the 11⁄16-mile California Derby and 11⁄8-mile El Camino Real Derby follow in January and February. Morey won the Gold Rush and Cal Derby and finished third in the El Camino Real with Positive Response in 2010-11.

“It’s exciting for sure to have a good, young horse,” Morey said. “Hopefully he can continue to improve into his 3-year-old year.”