If your horse is racing in another continent and you book a flight to see him race for $300,000, having your picture taken after the race must be on

your mind.

John Smith of Woodlawn, Ont. bred and developed Buckhams Bay, a son of Ken Warkentin from his top flight broodmare Merles Image, who he later sold to Courant AB of Halmstad, Sweden in August. The colt’s new owners will be in attendance on Saturday and Smith is hoping they have a chance to cheer their acquisition home.

“I think they booked a flight,” notes the trainer. “I hope he does them some justice."

Reigning Gold Final champion Air Stewart has Post 3, right beside Buckhams Bay, a three-time Gold Final winner, who gets Post 4. Smith still conditions Buckhams Bay, and says the division point leader should be ready to rumble.

“I think he’s ready to race, but I imagine they all are,” says Smith. “When you get a field of horses like this you need a little racing luck. We’ve started off with a little; we’ve got a decent post.”

Buckhams Bay raced eight times in the Gold Series program this season, scoring six wins and two seconds. The colt heads into Saturday’s test off his only loss in Gold Final action, but Smith says the runner-up effort on Oct. 21 was simply a result of poor racing luck.

“I wasn’t disappointed in the horse at all, just with the way the race went,” says Smith, who had an inkling things might not go his way when Buckhams Bay and driver Jacques Hebert were parked to the :27.3 first quarter coming out of the nine hole. “I thought he raced real good.”

The versatile young trotter and Hebert will be aiming for a share of the $300,000 Super Final lucre in the fifth race on Saturday's stakes-packed card of harness racing.

Woodbine Racetrack’s first race parades in front of the grandstand at 7:30 pm on Saturday, and the province’s most gifted two and three-year-old trotters and pacers will battle for a total of $2.4 million in Races 3 through 10.

All eight of Saturday evening’s $300,000 finals will be aired during a special three-hour special on The Score. The show kicks off at 8:00 p.m and airs until 11 p.m. WEG will also be offering a $50,000 guaranteed pool for Saturday's early Pick-4 wager in addition to offering Superfecta wagering on all of Saturday's races.

To download a program for Saturday's card, click here. To view Saturday's entries, click here.

(OSS)