Almost three and a half years after he survived a violent attack as a foal, Phoos Boy is ready for his racing debut.

Phoos Boy, the horse that was shot in the neck when he was just a couple months old, will make his first career start in a race on Thursday night (Dec. 17) at Rideau Carleton Raceway. His race debut comes after a long road to recovery -- and more than eight months since he first hit the track and recorded three qualifying lines -- but the time is finally right.

"We brought him back in the Spring fairly early and we trained him down to 2:03 and he was carrying the head off sideways and he seemed to be sore behind," owner Bob Montgomery explained to Trot Insider on Tuesday evening. "I made the decision, I guess, probably end of May/June. I just took him home and pulled his shoes off and turned him outside."

The Carp, Ont. horseman describes that decision as the best move he's ever made and one that has made a world of difference to Phoos Boy's health and well-being.

"He used to go with sort of a stiff neck," recalled Montgomery. "Running outside and eating grass -- we kept him out 10 to 12 hours every day -- and he freed up. And we got his feet straightened out and brought him back and he's a completely different horse.

"He goes with no check on right now, his head is straight. Once we took the check off him, we had to lengthen his hopples out a couple inches and he's just a completely different horse right now. His attitude is different."

Phoos Boy put forth his best effort to date in last week's qualifier on Dec. 9 with a mile clocked in 2:01.1 and a :30.3 last quarter. Montgomery would love to see his beloved pacer make it to the winner's circle in due time and hopes the upcoming winter will afford him that opportunity as the race speeds slow down with the cooler weather.

"I have one big hope and that would be to win a race," said the veteran horseman. "After all that he's gone through, I've also told [trainer] Steve [Norris] and the boys that this is his last kick at the can. I've got a ton of money in that horse, I mean a ton...but he's got a soft spot in my heart so I want to see him get a win."

The three-year-old Art Colony gelding has drawn the outside post eight in Thursday's $4,800 seventh race for non-winners of $7,500 lifetime. Most of the field has 20 or more starts already under their belts and he is the 9-1 longshot on the morning line. Montgomery will be content to watch Phoos Boy make his pari-mutuel debut and learn what racing is all about.

"He's got the breeding; his mother Miss Poole was a hell of a mare and can finish like hell and he's starting to show me a little bit of that again," said Montgomery. "Thursday night we're just hoping to get a little cheque maybe and hope to draw inside next week.

"It's only his first start, out of the eight-hole. We'll leave a little bit with him and try to come home with him -- teach him to finish. If we can do that then when we draw inside we'll have a legitimate shot."

First race post time on Thursday is 6:30 p.m., with the seventh race scheduled for 8:30 p.m.

To view Thursday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Thursday Entries - Rideau Carleton Raceway.