Ouellette On Enough Talk's Upcoming Overseas Races

O'Brien Award-winning driver Luc Ouellette will be headed to Finland this weekend to contest the $250,000 Finlandia Ajo at Vermo Racetrack with millionaire trotter Enough Talk. The pilot has commented both on the upcoming trip and

the prestigious Elitlopp.

"I was pretty excited when I saw that he came back [well] this year," Ouellette told Woodbine Entertainment Group's Greg Blanchard during a recent interview. "He's raced really well in all of his starts and qualifiers. He's obviously pretty solid right now, I just hope that he had a good trip over."

In terms of Enough Talk's starting spot for the Finlandia Ajo, Ouellette realized that it could have been a little better, but that it also could've been worse.

"We didn't draw so well. He got the eight hole on a five-eighths mile track. [There are] eight [horses] across [the gate] and there are 10 horses in the race, so that could be a little difficult, but hopefully things will work out."

Ouellette said that he hasn't driven at Vermo Racetrack before and that he will be looking to get his timing down for the starting gate.

"My one concern [is] that I'm curious to see how they go with the gate; how fast the gate goes out of there and things like that. Hopefully I will have a couple other mounts that day prior to that race to get acclimated, so to speak."

Trained by Peter Kleinhans, Enough Talk has banked $1,249,387 from 74 career starts. His 57 on-the-board finishes include 29 victories, the fastest of which was recorded in a blistering 1:49.3 in 2008 at Colonial Downs.

Ouellette is hoping that Enough Talk has the speed and manners to get the job done in the Finlandia Ajo on Sunday, May 2, and hopefully in the Elitlopp, which will take place Sunday, May 30 at Sweden's Solvalla Racecourse, as well.

"They told me that he was mine (to drive) for the next three races," Ouellette explained. "There is a race in the middle of it (the Finlandia Ajo and the Elitlopp) and I might not be able to go, so hopefully they will be okay with that and I will be able to go back for the Elitlopp."

The pilot said that he knows the horse very well, and that there shouldn't be any issue regarding racing Enough Talk overseas, as he has done it in the past.

"I know the horse well, so that's not going to be a problem. He's a really nice horse and is very versatile as well. A 10-horse filed on a five-eighths mile track, you know, we'll decide at the gate what to do, but that right there could be an issue, but with a little bit of racing luck we'll figure it out."

Ouellette is surely focused on Enough Talk's Sunday tilt in Finland, but he is certainly looking forward to the Elitlopp where he and Enough Talk are expected to lock up with fellow trotting star Lucky Jim. Ouellette explained that he hopes to have an advantage with Enough Talk over Lucky Jim in the Elitlopp.

"To get another crack at the Elitlopp will be great, especially with the horse. Hopefully he stays as good as he has been at the Meadowlands. I know he's in against Lucky Jim, but he's beaten Lucky Jim, and that's on a mile track. From what I can see with Lucky Jim he has some issues with the turns, so on a five-eighths mile track that's got to be in our favour."