When driver Luc Ouellette partners Bestinthebusiness in their next assignment, the $50,000 final of the Beat The Heat Pacing Series on Saturday at Mohawk Racetrack, the veteran reinsman hopes the end result is a winning one.
The homebred son of Another Mile-Tendin To Business, who has as a record of 4-5-1 in 15 outings this year, hasn’t been worse than second in his last three starts at the Campbellville oval.
“He is a big, good-looking horse with a long gait,” Ouellette said of the four-year-old. “He tries and has talent. He gives you 100 per cent.”
In his Mohawk debut on June 16, the Stephen Davis trainee won his conditioned event by a neck in a new mark of 1:50.3. One week later on June 23, Bestinthebusiness finished second by a nose in the first leg of the Beat The Heat. He then found the winner’s circle from Post 10 in last Saturday’s second leg.
Heading into the final on Saturday, Ouellette remains optimistic that the Michigan-bred can overcome Post 12, which has them leaving from the second tier.
“I have always raced him on the front or near the front,” the resident of Campbellville, Ont. said of the 17-time career winner, who has banked $136,194 in lifetime earnings for owner/breeder Brett Boyd Racing Inc. of Jonesville, Michigan. “Having the 12-hole will definitely change the way the race is going to go for him. Last year, I had the 12-hole with All Tiger N and that didn’t work out so well because a horse got parked and just sat outside of me and I could never get into the race.
“Having the 12-hole isn’t an awful, terrible thing, especially if the horses off the rail or the two-hole are able to get into the race a little bit,” Ouellette continued. “I think I would rather have a horse really into form going into a race than a good post and a horse that might not be at his best.”
Ouellette believes Bestinthebusiness is in good form.
“If we do get away mid-pack somewhere, I think he will give it a good effort," the reinsman explained. "At the same time though, I think that there are a couple other horses that are competitive in there. It will be whoever gets the trip."
Junior K captured the inaugural edition of the series last year in 1:50 for trainer Robin Davies and driver Roger Mayotte.
Here’s how the aged pacers will line up behind the gate:
Post Position - Horse - Listed Driver
1 - Doin Time Together – TBA
2 - Roadside Delight – S. Condren
3 - Lucky Terror – J. Jamieson
4 - Sheer Desire – K. Oliver
5 - All Tiger N – TBA
6 - Keep It Real – J. Jamieson
7 - Trend Spotter – J. Brewer
8 - Ultra Jimmy – P. Mackenzie
9 - Quinnman – A. MacDonald
10 - Eagle Artesian – TBA
11 - The Ladies Man – A. Byron
12 - Bestinthebusiness – L. Ouellette
In other stakes action this weekend, two-year-old pacing colts and fillies will compete in their respective $130,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold finals and three-year-old filly pacers, who are non-winners of two races or $10,000 lifetime as of midnight March 31, will contest two $20,000 opening-round divisions of the Town Pro Series on Friday.
The $30,000 second leg of the Town Pro is scheduled for Monday, July 16, with the $60,000 final slated for Thursday, July 26.
First-race post time is 7:10 p.m.
(WEG)