Go Go Red Marty is unbeaten in four starts this season with a 1:55 victory under his belt. His driver, Mike Saftic, has been asked whether the three-year-old son of Striking Sahbra has more in the tank. And after hearing Saftic's answer, the field for Woodbine Racetrack's $60,000 final of the Tie Silk Trotting Series may be in for a tough go
tomorrow night.
In a recent interview with the Woodbine Entertainment Group's Communications Department, Saftic was asked if the Kent Baker-trained gelding has been fully extended this season as of yet. "I don't think so," was Saftic's answer. "What is it? Three or four starts this year? He's been well within himself."
The pilot explained that the connections of Go Go Red Marty were high on him during his freshman campaign, but it was cut short due to colt soreness. "Maybe it was the best thing for him," Saftic explained, "we'll see what happens."
The connections of Go Go Red Marty, who will start from Post 3 in the Tie Silk finale, have envisioned the chestnut as an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold level competitor. "Definitely. I think that's definitely the plan," Saftic said about going the OSS route. "We're going to get through this series and give him a little bit of time and then pop him in the sires stakes."
The pilot said that Baker has recently removed a piece of equipment from Go Go Red Marty, either a hood or a screen, but it has not had much of an effect on the gelding at all.
"What I like about him is that he has gate speed, but he will come from off the pace and will sit in a hole. We're trying to teach him to do all aspects because when sires stakes come he'll have to race different styles."
In regard to Go Go Red Martys maturation from week to week, Saftic believes he is getting better as he gets more races on his resume. "I think so," said Saftic, in reference to the gelding getting better week by week. "Last week he really felt good half way down the lane to the wire he was really trotting."
Saftic and Go Go Red Marty have been installed as the heavy 2-5 favourite on the morning line odds for the dash, which has been carded as Race 2 (estimated post time 7:49 p.m.).
To view the harness racing entries for Woodbine's Thursday night card, click here.