Freehold, NJ -- (Sports Network) - Art Official, Meadowlands Pace champ, is the 9-5 morning-line favorite for Monday's Cane Pace at Freehold Raceway. The $392,850 one-mile event is the first leg of the Pacing Triple Crown.

Coming off a convincing win in a Cane elimination race, Art Official will be driven by Ron Pierce from post seven. Pierce has three Cane Pace victories on his resume.

Trained by Joe Seekman for Sawgrass Farms, Art Official has won four straight and six of his last seven starts. The colt has won nine of 15 races this year and has earned $1 million.

Another Cane elimination winner, Badlands Nitro, is the 5-2 second choice and will be coupled with Rudy Rednose. Badlands Nitro will be driven by Brian Sears from the inside post and Rudy Rednose will start from post four with David Miller. Sears won the 2007 Cane with Always A Virgin.

"He came out of the (Battle of Brandywine) good," said trainer and co-owner George Teague, Jr. about Badlands Nitro. "He had nothing else on his schedule leading up to the Little Brown Jug, so we decided to enter. He's very versatile, real handy. He can spring off the wings when he needs to and he can follow cover. He's a real perfect-gaited horse."

Along with the Battle of Brandywine, Badlands Nitro captured the Art Rooney Pace at Yonkers and the Max Hempt Memorial at Pocono Downs. He was second to Somebeachsomewhere in the North America Cup.

The three-year-old has earned $1.1 million this year with nine wins in 12 starts. Rudy Rednose has won four of 11 starts this year for $188,986.

Here is the entire field for the Cane Pace final in post position order: Badlands Nitro, Brian Sears 5-2; McCedes, Daniel Dube 6-1; Moon Beam, Yannick Gingras 3-1; Rudy Rednose, David Miller 5-2; U Smooth Talker U, John Campbell 15-1; Lis Deo, Tim Tetrick 9-2; Art Official, Ron Pierce 9-5 and Major General, Andy Miller 10-1.

The second leg of the Triple Crown, the Little Brown Jug, is set for Thursday, September 18 at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in Ohio and the Messenger Pace, will be Saturday, October 25 at Yonkers Raceway. No Pan Intended was the last horse to complete the Triple Crown sweep in 2003.