Gregg McNair, the trainer of the defending Molson Pace champion at London ’s Western Fair Raceway, says the 2008 winner is looking like a longshot
for a second straight year. Mind you, those closing odds of over 25-1 last year didn’t stop Eagle Luck from winning the track’s marquee event the last time he was here.
“Eagle Luck has been off form, he’s just been kind of going through the motions out there,” says trainer Gregg McNair. “He was a longshot last year and with the cast of horses I understand are coming this year, he’ll likely be a big longshot again. We're facing an uphill climb. But we will be there and at least give a try, you can count on that” he adds.
The six-year-old Camluck-Duncans Artsplace pacer took a Meadowlands mark of 1:48.3 last year. Although he’ll soon surpass a million dollars in career earnings he’s bounced between the upper conditioned and Preferred ranks on the WEG circuit this year and has one win to show for nine starts.
“I’m not sure whether he has some sort of low level lung infection or just what it is,” McNair says. “I’ll do all I can to get him as good as he can be for next Friday night’s Molson Pace eliminations. That’s a big enough hurdle to cross before we can even think about the final.”
McNair also discloses that a final driver decision is pending for Eagle Luck after discussing the matter with Eagle Luck’s Ohio owner, Frank Dettore. Gregg’s 19-year-old son Doug is under consideration along with Trevor Henry.
While it was Henry in the bike for the monumental 2008 upset with Eagle Luck in the Molson Pace, Doug has vaulted into second spot in the Western Fair drivers’ standings in just his second full year in the bike. The younger McNair quickly earned his stripes as a big money pilot by winning the 2008 Battle Of Waterloo and Ontario Sires Stakes events last year.
Jody Jamieson Has Molson Pace Plans
One of Canada’s most sought after catch drivers, 32-year-old Jody Jamieson, has designs on adding a Molson Pace championship to his rapidly expanding resume. He says he’s been recruited by the Mickey and Ron Burke Stable to drive their starters in the Pace eliminations on Friday night.
“Maltese Artist is well known to everyone with what he’s done this year in New Jersey and at the Molson Pace two years ago when he was second to Rare Jewel,” Jamieson says. “Foiled Again is the other horse they’ve asked me to drive in the eliminations and he doesn’t have much to prove after his domination in the Levy Series at Yonkers. The plan is to get them both into the final. Then I’ll stay with Maltese Artist and as I understand it, Yannick Gingras will come up to continue driving Foiled Again.”
Prior to moving full time to the Woodbine circuit Jamieson was a regular in the Western Fair driving colony in the earlier years of his career. He has yet to win a Molson Pace title.
The draw result for the Molson Pace eliminations and the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series three-year-old filly pace eliminations will be known by early afternoon on Monday, May 18. The eliminations card goes postward on May 22 at 7:05 p.m. with the 37th Molson Pace program set for May 29.
Horse Off Form? Try A Saddle
Trainer Mike Bishop and his girlfriend, Sarah Cottrell, were thinking earlier this year that is was time to retire thirteen year old pacing mare Big Alberta from the racing wars. Then, quite by accident, they stumbled onto a new exercise regimen for the 38 time career winner of $141,000 that’s resulted in a substantial improvement in her attitude, fitness and performance.
“I was at the point of not really knowing what to do with her since she was stuck at a certain level and we couldn’t get her back to her old self,” says trainer Mike Bishop. “I put her through a sale and wanted a minimum bid of $2,000 but I was reluctant to let her go for just $300 so we kept her. You can credit my girlfriend, Sarah, with the improvement in her over the past three months.”
“I decided to ride her under saddle and she perked up almost overnight,” Sarah says. “By the end of January we weren’t able to jog her much or get much meaningful exercise into her. Her attitude perked right up and she was willing to do her work again. At 13, about a $6,000 claimer is all she’s going to be. But she certainly seems to have rewarded us with this new lease on life; all because I started riding her.”
Through June, post time at Western Fair each Monday and Tuesday afternoon is at 3:35 p.m. and every Friday night at 7:05 p.m.
(Western Fair Raceway)