Anticipation is high for Saturday's $6.1 million Breeders Crown card of harness racing at Woodbine Racetrack. Nobody in the industry is more enthusiastic about champion distaffer Put On A Show taking on her male counterparts than the mare's co-owner Richard Young. Although, as explained in an interview, the lass' trainer, Chris Ryder, is not as keen on the decision.

Whatever the right move proves to be, there is one thing is undeniable: Put On A Show racing against the boys in the $492,700 Breeders Crown Pace will bring even more eyeballs and intrigue to the prestigious group of races --- a group of races which will attract industry attention regardless of if a mare opts to tangle with those of the other gender.

Boasting $2.4 million in career purse earnings, a high win ratio and a mark of 1:47.3, Put On A Show has nothing to prove to anybody when it comes to her eventual legacy on the racetrack. That being said, a win Saturday against the sport's stronger male division in the 'Crown' finals would prove to be yet another vibrant feather in an already stuffed cap.

When asked by the Woodbine Entertainment Group about the decision to enter Put On A Show to race against the boys in the Crown, Ryder said that Young made the call.

"Really, it was Richard's call. He's been wanting to do it all year," Ryder explained. "He called up and said 'that's what I want to do.' I gave him my opinion, which wasn't the same as his. I told him that I thought she was worthy and that it could work, but I certainly wasn't going to talk him out of it, and here we are."

In the interview, Ryder sang the praises of the five-year-old daughter of Rocknroll Hanover. When asked if she should be the mare that should tackle the boys this year, Ryder was quick to respond. "Oh, absolutely, yeah," the conditioner said without a flinch. "I can't think of anybody else, and, as we've previously said, Betterthancheddar is not in, so it is not as tough as it could've been --- that played a major role."

Ryder went on to say, as any horseperson knows, that it's almost impossible to get a horse like Put On A Show, stating the mare is "a horse of a lifetime."

"It's been a great ride and it's still going," he said. "It's really exciting --- it's just tremendous."

In her final charted tune up for Saturday's Crown Pace, Put On A Show stalked from off the tempo. According to Ryder, she was snarled behind some bad cover, but still ended up closing hard for a fourth-place finish, beaten more than three lengths and covering her mile in 1:49.2.

"Yeah, it was a rough trip --- it was kind of an interrupted trip," Ryder said. "He (driver Jody Jamieson) pulled her going into the last turn. I don't know who it was in front of him, but the horse wasn't making any progress at all, so it cost her a lot of ground. She came home as well as she could, and that was okay."

Jamieson and Put On A Show have drawn the rail for the Crown Pace, which has been carded as Race 12 (11:05 p.m.). The duo have been assessed at odds of 7-1 on the morning line.

To view the harness racing entries for Saturday at Woodbine, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Woodbine Racetrack.

Please note that first-race post time on Saturday is a special 6:30 p.m.