GLOUCESTER, ON — For the sixth time in his brief career, Distant Memories has landed a less than ideal post position. Through six starts the two-year-old trotter has started from the outer half of the starting gate on five occasions, and in Sunday’s $130,000 Gold Final at Rideau Carleton Raceway he will line up from the trailing Post 9.

“Bad post positions, that’s what he’s had,” laments owner and trainer Paul Barkley. “Last Sunday was the first good post position he has had.”

In last week’s elimination round Distant Memories drew Post 1 and the Mr Lavec son took full advantage, firing to the front and leading his peers through fractions of :30, 1:01 and 1:30.3 en route to a 2:00.3 victory, his second of the season.

In spite of his bad luck, Distant Memories has amassed a solid record through the first two months of the Ontario Sires Stakes campaign, posting two wins, one second, one third and two fourths for earnings of $44,933.

“These are such good colts you’re in against you’ve got to have luck, it doesn’t matter how good your colt is,” notes the Morrisburg resident. “There’s no such thing as �the one to beat,’ usually there’s six or eight to beat, so everything has to go well. You’ve got to have post position luck and the luck of the race.”

In addition to his concern about the trailing post on Sunday, Barkley is also worried about the gelding’s health. Although he has not shown the signs of a full blown cold, the trainer says Distant Memories has been battling some sort of bug recently.

“He’s been fighting a cold for two weeks. He hasn’t been sick, he’s just got some mucous in his nose,” says Barkley. “I hope everything is all right for Sunday.”

Barkley acquired Distant Memories at last fall’s Canadian Classic Yearling Sale and was quickly impressed with the gelding’s manners and ability.

“I liked his breeding and he was in my price range. I thought any faults he had, I could live with,” recalls Barkley, who offered up $16,000 for the trotter. “He showed ability the first time I trained him, he was just a natural. Some struggle all winter to get to where he was the first time I trained him.”

Once he glimpsed Distant Memories’s ability, Barkley carefully managed the young trotter to ensure that he didn’t reach his full speed before his growing body was able to handle it.

“He’s just been a perfect horse really, right from Day 1,” says the trainer. “But his bones aren’t all filled in yet. At one time I had a notion to leave him right in Florida, but, touch wood, everything has worked out all right.”

Distant Memories and his peers will face off in the sixth race on Rideau Carleton Raceway’s 6:30 pm program Sunday. The other elimination winners, Upfront Navigator and Dr Robert Johns, will start from Posts 2 and 5.

For a complete list of entries please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/eridcfsu.html#N6