The $189,000 inaugural edition of the Forest City Pace has been drawn and will head postward Saturday, October 17 at Western Fair Raceway
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Locally-owned To Helen Back has drawn mid-pack for trainer John Pentland, who has listed pilot Mike Saftic to be in the racebike.
Saftic, one of Canada’s leading drivers for many years, will make a rare appearance at the London, Ont. half-mile oval to steer the Astreos mare which has not been driven by anyone else since November of 2007. A winner of over $80 million in his career, Saftic has guided To Helen Back to $322,555 in earnings already this season.
Owned by Anne and Mike Shunock of Dorchester, Ont., To Helen Back has banked over $1.1 million in career earnings to date. The mare's 2009 victories include the $111,000 final of the Ontario Masters Series at Georgian Downs, an elimination of the prestigious Milton Stakes at Mohawk Racetrack, an elim of the Ellamony and mares open events on the tough Woodbine Entertainment Group circuit.
The field for the Forest City Pace appears below.
$189,000 Forest City Pace
Post – Horse – Listed Driver
1 – A And Gs Confusion – Brad Forward
2 – Southwind Madonna – Lyle MacArthur
3 – Ladycino – Jody Jamieson
4 – To Helen Back – Mike Saftic
5 – Four Starzz Meliss – Jason Brewer
6 – Keystone Mystique – Trevor Henry
7 – Up Front Bethann – Doug McNair
8 – Arts Diva – Brad Forward
Also featured on Saturday night’s card at Western Fair, which gets underway at 7:05 p.m., are five $24,000 divisions of the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Series for three-year-old pacing colts in Races 1, 4, 5, 8 and 9. The OSS splits are the final Grassroots event for the three-year-old pacing colt division before the Semi Finals, which will take place next week at Rideau Carleton Raceway.
The first 500 fans at Western Fair with a program coupon will receive a free t-shirt to commemorate the inaugural Forest City Pace.
Click here to view the harness racing entries for this Saturday at Western Fair
(With files from Western Fair)