CAMPBELLVILLE, JUNE 14, 2006 — The depth of talent in Sunday’s three-year-old pacing filly Gold Final at Mohawk Racetrack is so impressive that trainer Jason Libby says To Helen Back will need a fair share of luck to score her second straight win of the season.

“Speed wise she’s got it, now we’ve just got to be lucky,” says Libby, who trains To Helen Back for Mike Shunock of Toronto. “And I’d rather be lucky than good.”

To Helen Back heads into Sunday night’s $130,000 contest off a 1:52.3 victory in last Monday’s elimination round — one second faster than the winners of the other three eliminations — and runner-up finishes in her elimination and the final of the season opener at Kawartha Downs in May. Mark MacDonald drove the filly in all three of her early season starts and will be back in the race bike Sunday in spite of a host of other invitations.

“Mark had the opportunity to go to out west for the Western Canada Pacing Derby Sunday, but he’s going to stay here and drive Helen,” explains Libby. “And he had a chance to drive Casie’s (Coleman) horse (Luxury Seelster) in the Final too.

“He’s driven Helen, I think, every start but two. He likes her and she likes him, so it’s a good combination, and we’re really happy he’s sticking around to drive her.”

MacDonald will steer To Helen Back from Post 2 in the Gold Final, and with the other three elimination winners lining up at Posts 1, 4 and 6, Mohawk fans should be in for an outstanding show.

“All the good ones, well they’re all good, but most of the really competitive ones drew inside the six,” notes Libby. “So it will be interesting to see how the trip comes out. Stonebridge Prima has the rail, John Pentland’s filly Even Now has the four-hole and In Trepid Water has the six.

“Our girl kind of likes to race up near the front, so the two-hole works for her,” adds the Dorchester resident. “She’s as good as everyone else I think; now we just need some racing luck.”

With four eliminations at Kawartha Downs in May and four eliminations at Woodbine Racetrack last Monday, the fillies have been under constant pressure since the start of the season. In both events only the top two finishers from the elimination round were guaranteed a berth in the Gold Final, leaving very little room for error.

“We’re in the second stake of the year and we still had four eliminations,” says Libby. “You’re racing for $30,000, but you’ve got to be in the top two to go for $130,000.

“You have to give credit to all the breeders and trainers. They’re doing a good job making some nice horses.”

To Helen Back and her talented peers will make their second bid for Gold Final glory in the eighth race on Sunday, the opening night of Mohawk Racetrack’s summer meet. The evening’s first race goes behind the gate at 7 pm.

For complete entries please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/emohssu.html#N8