Geoff and Mary Anne Lauzon are delighted that two-year-old trotting filly Cumin First will compete over their local oval on Friday evening, but the Russell, ON residents admit the Rideau Carleton Raceway Gold eliminations will be a little more nerve-wracking than the youngster's other starts.

"Hopefully she'll do good here at Rideau - on our home turf," says Geoff Lauzon. "There's a little more nervousness when everyone you know will be there."

The Lauzon's share ownership on Cumin First with breeder Dr. Ruth Irving of Russell, Jim Fielding of Toronto, ON and John Jesson of Tillsonburg, ON, and they would love to see her deliver a big effort in front of their friends and family on Friday.

With four wins through seven starts, including a sweep of her elimination and the final of the Gold Series events at Flamboro Downs and Mohawk Racetrack in July and August, the Striking Sahbra miss is more than capable of putting on an impressive show.

"We're very pleased with her and her progress," says Lauzon. "She started out the year really good, but she didn't have as much luck at Kawartha."

After sweeping through the first two Gold events, Cumin First finished second in her August 16 elimination at Kawartha Downs, then made an unexpected miscue on the front end in the $120,000 final one week later. The Frank O'Reilly trainee heads into Friday's event off a sixth-place finish in the elimination round of the Peaceful Way, contested over a sloppy oval at Mohawk Racetrack on September 8.

On Friday, regular reinsman Rick Zeron will steer the winner of $170,000 from Post 2 in the first Gold elimination, and the pair will be looking to regain their winning form and secure a berth in the October 3 Gold final. The top three finishers from each of the three $40,000 Gold eliminations will earn a return invitation to the Gold final.

Cumin First is just the second horse the Lauzon's have owned. The couple jumped into ownership through the Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association's (SBOA) popular New Owner's Groups, purchasing a share of recent Grassroots winner Allmar Surprise in the fall of 2006. Irving was the mentor for the group, and when the Lauzon's expressed an interest in a second horse she steered them to Cumin First.

"I think it is an excellent program for people to get their feet wet and see what it's all about," notes Lauzon. "To get the confidence to pursue it (ownership)."

Mary Anne Lauzon was the catalyst behind the couple's foray into ownership, and among her partners in the original Mark Ten Stable is Ottawa, ON resident Ron Berry, who will also see his second horse compete in Gold elimination action at Rideau Carleton on Friday.

Napanee Seelster heads into the third elimination off a fourth-place finish in a Trillium Series event at Georgian Downs on September 20. The Angus Hall daughter's best results through eight starts are a pair of third-place finishes in Gold elimination action at Flamboro Downs in July and at Kawartha Downs in August, and she will attempt to match or improve on those efforts from Post 6 in Race 6 Friday.

Wayne Henry trains and drives Napanee Seelster, and the Arthur, ON resident shares ownership on the filly with Berry and Alan Bodin of Rockwood, ON.

Post time for Rideau Carleton Raceway's Friday evening program is 6:30 p.m., and the two-year-old trotting fillies will show off their skills to local fans in Races 2, 4 and 6.

To view the entries, click here.

(OSS)