Artemis In the Hunt

by Heather Likins 
    John Fort’s Peachtree Stables has experienced a gamut of thrills in Thoroughbred racing. He almost lost promising 2-year-old Invisible Ink (Thunder Gulch) to illness, and the next season got to watch as that colt finished second in the 2001 GI Kentucky Derby to Monarchos (Maria’s Mon). Plum Pretty (Medaglia d’Oro) won the GI Kentucky Oaks in 2011, and Fort is looking for a repeat with GI Las Virgenes S. nominee Artemis (Empire Maker). 
    Consigned as hip 293 by Ciaran Dunne’s Wavertree Stables, Inc, to the 2013 OBS March 2-year-olds-in Training Sale, Artemis was purchased by Fort on behalf of his Peachtree Stables for $280,000. The bay is a granddaughter of GISW La Gueriere and comes from an extensive family of stakes winners and stakes producers. However, Fort feels that pedigree was not Artemis’ only draw. 
    “Well, on her dam’s side, her second dam, La Gueriere, is one of the best mares in the studbook,” said Fort. “At the 2-year-old sales she didn’t work real fast, but she was just a beautiful mover. It’s always fun buying a horse, it’s exciting, and she was a filly that was coming into her own at the 2-year-old sales. Ciaran Dunne had her. She was a little on the small side. She wasn’t flashy, she didn’t work flashy [10.2], but she looked very sound, and she had this beautiful way of moving, a lot of extension to her stride.” 
    Artemis has registered a maiden win from three starts, graduating in a one-mile dirt test at Santa Anita, Jan. 3, the same track and trip as the Las Virgenes. She placed in two sprint starts and Fort is pleased with the consistency she has displayed so far. 
    “It was just stretching out really, she’s not a little speedball, we knew the pedigree, Empire Maker, over a lot of stamina on the dam’s side,” Fort continued. “She finished second and third in those first two races [at Betfair Hollywood Park], more really on her class than anything. When she stretched out she was going to really come into her own and she did. I don’t think [the switch from synthetic to dirt] that was the reason she won, but you know certainly she’s got a dirt pedigree. She would have won on the synthetic [eventually]. I was there when she won, and that was a lot of fun.” 
    Artemis has posted several works in preparation for Saturday’s GI Las Virgenes S. Her most recent piece for conditioner Jerry Hollendorfer, was at Santa Anita yesterday morning. 
    “Well, she worked going a half-mile in 48, [:48.60] she’s ready,” Fort emphasized. 
    Fort uses multiple trainers for his horses, splitting his California string between Bob Baffert and Jerry Hollendorfer. 
    “Most of my horses in California are with Bob Baffert,” stated Fort. “I’ve found, though, there are just a few maiden races in California every week and you have to split them up a little bit. She’s with Jerry Hollendorfer. He’s a Hall of Fame trainer, his credentials stand on their own and I have two [horses] with him. [Jockey] Mike Smith is going to ride her.” 
    Despite never running in a stakes before, Fort is bullish on Artemis’ chances. If she does well, the bay will be pointed to the GI Kentucky Oaks. 
    “We are cautiously optimistic, it’s never easy to win any race, and Grade I’s in particular are not that easy,” said Fort. “If she’s good enough, that’s the ultimate question. She could win races like the Las Virgenes, or races like the Kentucky Oaks, but she has to be good enough. You can’t just say that’s what you are going to do. There are other fillies that are pretty movers that can get the distance too, and the purpose of these races is to find out who’s best at it. I’ll be at the race, so hopefully we will have some fun that day.”