"He's Just A Ball Of Fire And Is Ready To Go"

If anyone was wondering about the status of Big Jim heading into Saturday's $1 million Metro Pace at Mohawk Racetrack, all they had to do was speak to the colt's namesake, Jim Carr

.

"The horse is excellent. There isn't a thing wrong with him," Carr said during an interview with the Woodbine Entertainment Group.

"He came out of the race (his Metro Pace elimination) well. He raced on five days (rest) after racing in the Nassagaweya. He came out of it perfectly. He's just a ball of fire and is ready to go. You can go down there and he'll just have his head out of his stall. He can see right outside and he's right in there as you come in the barn. He's happy as anything, eating his carrots. I don't think he could be any better right now."

When asked whether the winner of the Metro will have to get the job done in sub-1:50 speed, Carr said if the weather is good and the situation calls for it, the timer will dip below 1:50.

"I think that if it's a nice night we're going to beat 1:50," Carr said. "Phil (driver Phil Hudon) has told me after the last couple of races that if he let him go he would break 1:50. He had him under wraps the last two races coming down the stretch. It all depends on the trip and everything else. You always need a little bit of luck; there's nine other good horses in there."

Big Jim will start from Post 4 with Hudon in the Metro, which has an estimated post time of 9:40 p.m.

For those who can’t make it to the track on Saturday, The Score Television Network will carry special coverage of both the Metro and Canadian Pacing Derby during a two-hour special from 9:00 – 11:00 p.m. (E.T.).

First-race post time for Saturday’s program from Mohawk is 7:30 p.m.