CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — As in most aspects of life, success in harness racing is often about achieving perfect balance in several areas and John Bax is hoping that two-year-old trotting filly Oaklea Omega and veteran reinsman Dave Wall find that balance in Monday’s $130,000 Gold Final at Woodbine Racetrack.

“It’s a long year and at this stage your main objective is not to hurt them and still make some money,” says the trotting specialist. “You don’t want to gut them and have them take three months to recover.”

Oaklea Omega, and most of her peers, will be making just her second lifetime start on Monday and Bax would prefer it if the Balanced Image daughter did not have to go significantly faster than the 2:00.2 she clocked in her elimination win last Tuesday.

“I would love it if they didn’t go any faster,” says the Peterborough resident. “A lot of times young horses will go one big mile, and then when they come back some will go forward and some will go backward. I’m just hoping we’re one of the forward ones.”

The filly’s elimination victory saw her sit contentedly in the pocket until the pacesetter made a break coming around the last turn. Wall had to steer Oaklea Omega to the inside to avoid the other filly, but the experience did not seem to rattle the novice trotter.

“She got bumped over the pylons a bit. Fortunately she’s a pretty steady filly so it didn’t disrupt her much,” says Bax. “I have to give credit to caretaker Don Watson, he’s got her pretty sensible. As sensible as a Balanced Image can be.”

Bax has always been partial to the offspring of Balanced Image, racing such standouts as $2.2 million winner Goodtimes and top Ontario Sires Stakes competitor Duke Of York, and admits he was surprised to see the bidding on Oaklea Omega stall at $28,000 at last fall’s Forest City Yearling Sale.

“I was happy she was in my price range. I didn’t think I’d be able to afford her,” recalls Bax, who shares ownership on the filly with Brilo Farms of Sharon, Glenn Van Camp of Port Perry and Venture K Stable of Little Britain. “I guess people want something other than Balanced Image these days, but I like them. When you put them in a race they want to do it; you can’t train that.”

Couple that desire with Oaklea Omega’s steadiness and Bax could have his next Ontario Sires Stakes star, but the veteran trainer has been around the harness racing business long enough to be more pragmatic in his expectations of the filly.

“I thought she was nice all year, but when you get out there you never know how she’ll match up with the other ones,” he says. “I was just happy to be able to go with them and hopefully she can continue to play at that level.”

Oaklea Omega will get her next chance to play from Post 1 in the fourth race on Monday, which will be part of Mohawk Racetrack’s �Race Night on the SCORE’ program. The other elimination winners, Indigo Sakra, Dance Hall Glory and Patsy’s Point, will line up from Posts 4, 6 and 9. Monday’s first race heads in behind the starting gate at 7:20 pm.

For a complete list of entries please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/emohsmo.html