"We've been working on this for months, putting together a great day for the fans and that's really what it's all about."
The $176,000 Confederation Cup is set for Sunday, May 21 at Flamboro Downs. Eliminations were contested last Sunday with Western Fame and Sintra winning their respective eliminations in identical 1:52.4 mile times.
The TSN 1150 crew will be broadcasting live from Flamboro on Cup night to help give the race some local attention. On Thursday (May 18) the CH Morning Live breakfast show was at Flamboro to preview Confederation Cup night. Track announcer Gary Guy, who has called in the vicinity of 65,000 races, will call his 15th Confederation Cup and still looks forward to each edition.
"In fact, in years gone by I used to look forward to it a little too much," Guy told CHCH's Tim Bolen. "I was too nervous and had to find a way to say 'OK, let's back off here a little bit.'" The year that [Somebeachsomewhere won], about a minute to post I had to go out on the roof and said 'OK, you have to relax here' because I was a little too amped up."
Driver Jody Jamieson has his share of Confederation Cup experience as well and will look to add his name to the trophy and list of winners again on Sunday.
"I'm always excited to race good horses and I have a really good horse in this race," Jamieson said. "I think I've been driving in it almost every year since 2006. I raced a horse in 2006 [Impeccable], got beat up pretty badly and came right back in 2007 and got lucky enough to win it [with Laughing Art].
"It was a big thrill to win the biggest race on a half-mile track in Canada for three-year-olds, and to do it at my home track that I grew up at."
Jamieson's hopes this year rest with Sintra (Mach Three-Dancin Barefoot), who is undefeated in his first three starts of his four-year-old campaign. Trained by David Menary, Sintra boasts lifetime earnings of more than $352,000 for Menary and partners Brad Gray of Dundas, Ont. and Michael Guerriero of Brampton, Ont.
"Sintra is an amazing horse; he actually broke his foot as a two-year-old and missed his whole season," noted Jamieson. "Came back last year, was a great horse, raced against some of the best horses in the country -- or in the world, for that matter - and he won a lot, won his fair share but got beat his fair share.
"He's come back this year like a beast, he's in beast mode to tell you the truth."
While clearly impressed with the form Sintra has shown thus far, Jamieson is fully aware that the path to the Confederation Cup winner's circle on Sunday night will not be a cakewalk by any means.
"We've drawn the worst possible post with Post 8 here at Flamboro," Jamieson admitted. "My horse is going to have to be extra good, I'm going to have to be extra sharp to get to the winner's circle from the eight hole but I'll tell you one thing: Sintra is good enough to do it."
Fans on track for Confederation Cup night will be able to enjoy, t-shirt tosses, a parachute drop (weather permitting), industry booths, Pepsi Sampling Squad, prize giveaways, Flamboro's Famous Minis, Wanna Drive, a VIP tent party, stilt walkers and face painters for the kids, a live concert following the races by local band Speakeasy and much, much more.
First race post time for Sunday's $460,600 Confederation Cup program is 7:00 p.m. The undercard features the 2017 season opener for the Ontario Sires Stakes, with Ontario’s best three-year-old trotting colts and geldings in Gold divisions as well as three-year-old pacing colts and geldings competing in the first Grassroots event of the season.
Here is the field in post position order for the $176,000 Confederation Cup:
1. Magnum J (Peter Wrenn) - 12-1
2. Roll Away Joe (Alfie Carroll) - 8-1
3. Seeley Man (James MacDonald) - 9-2
4. Western Fame (Trevor Henry) - 5-2
5. Stonebridge Beach (Stephane Pouliot) - 15-1
6. Check Six (Louis-Philippe Roy) - 3-1
7. Mr Wiggle Pants (Doug McNair) - 7-1
8. Sintra (Jody Jamieson) - 7-5
9. Dr J Hanover (Sylvain Filion) - 8-1
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Here is a sincere hope that
Here is a sincere hope that the weather forecast as it stands does not materialize.
As of now things are looking good at least for WFR's big night!