The fourth annual Xtreme Horsepower will see many familiar faces returning for the action-packed event including a handful of former champions, who are back to defend their Xtreme titles

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Two-time Xtreme Rewind champion Abbey Road C will be returning in the $20,000 1-1/4 mile trot to be contested clockwise. The 11-year-old gelded son of Incredible Abe-Jayport Whimsey, trained and driven by Keith Jones for all of his 65 career wins, is owned by Margaret Charlton of Sarnia, ON. He surpassed the $2 million earnings marks on Xtreme Day last year.

Xtreme Sprint champions Awesum Best and Mathers Crombie will face off in this year’s single $15,000 1/8 mile dash.

Awesum Best and Scott Zeron will team up for trainer John Curran and owner Kenneth Curran of Coldwater, ON. The five-year-old Cammibest-Silver Face mare nosed out Hippity Hop N in 12.2 during last year’s event.

Mathers Crombie edged out Yancam in 11.1 during the other sprint. The 10-year-old Good News Scooter-Mathers Blackie gelding, owned by G And G Bonadonna Stable of Montreal, QC, will be driven by trainer Stephane Pouliot.

Last year’s Xtreme Classic winner Were Rolling will return to tackle the 2-1/2 mile assignment on Saturday. The five-year-old son of Dem Speedy Bones-Summer Joy will leave from lucky number Post 7 again in the 18-horse affair with Paul MacKenzie in the bike. Gord Dancetovic trains for his father Bob Dancetovic of Paris, ON and Jorgovanka Dancetovic of Cambridge, ON. Were Rolling beat out the returning Robert MacKenzie Jr.-trained S Js Stormtrooper by a half length. His winning time of 5:25.4 set a North American record.

To prepare for the endurance test, the Dancetovic’s are sticking with their winning strategy.

“I did the same as I did last year,” said Bob. “Just a long mile jog and some paddock time.”

“He’s at Victory Lane and he’s got a big paddock in the center of the field and he just runs around with the other horses. When they’re jogging he just runs around and that’s his extra training,” laughed Gord.

Were Rolling’s endurance and lightning gate speed are two main qualities that make him a strong contender in the 18-horse field. “He can really go the first eighth so that will help [in a big field],” said Bob.

“I will be there on Saturday,” he added. “I enjoy that racing very much. I was hoping to get in again this year and we did.”

Presidio will try his luck in the new $15,000 Xtreme Rush 3/8 mile contest. Last year, the six-year-old Presidential Ball- Kawartha Chesty gelding was a winner of the first Xtreme Battle elimination heat contested over 5/8ths of a mile in 1:12 before finishing sixth in the final. Mike Langdon will drive the James McEachern trainee for co-owners George Coleman of Peterborough and Donald Revoy of Oshawa, ON.

“I took him over to Kawartha to train him and I just came the last 3/8ths faster than I normally would,” explained McEachern. “He has a short burst of speed.”

“He was no good the second heat last year and I just thought one heat would be better for him and a little shorter distance would be better for him,” said McEachern of his decision to switch events this time around.

McEachern says he’s most looking forward to the overall bustling atmosphere at Xtreme Horsepower and the Xtreme Shotgun featuring another one of his trainees, Peyton Way.

“I practiced starting him over at Kawartha Downs just by himself a couple times to see if he would walk because he is kind of a hot horse and I just wanted to know if he would do it. I still don’t know how well he’s going to do but when nobody else was out there he was pretty good at walking along and then going into a trot. I had both horses over there on Tuesday morning trying them out.”

Peyton Way attempted the Xtreme Shotgun last year for trainer Cory Fuller, but made an early break putting him out of contention.

“I think the one day event [of distance racing] kind of keeps it special,” added McEachern. “I’ve raced in the longer distances before but that just never seemed to work out for me but I think they’re interesting to watch.”

Stanford Bridge and trainer-driver Mike Hales will look to repeat in the Xtreme Shotgun but will have to overcome the outside Post 8 this time around. Despite enduring broken equipment in the 2009 edition of the 1-1/4 mile trot with a walking start, the five-year-old gelded son of Kadabra-Defiant Emma prevailed in 2:30.3 by a half-length over pacesetter Suzys Solitaire, who will be seeking revenge this year for trainer David Haney.

Cameo Morley will return in the Xtreme Showdown, a 1-7/8 mile battle of the provinces featuring a $25,000 purse. Mike Langdon is listed to drive the Post 8 starter for trainer-owner Michelle Bohrer of Ancaster, ON. The six-year-old gelded son of Arcane Hanover-Imaginary Lover won a 5/8 mile heat of the Xtreme Adrenaline in 2008 in 1:12.1 and finished fourth in the final for former trainer Mike Sinclair.

To view Saturday's entries, click here.

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