ELORA, ON — As the two-year-old pacing fillies prepare for Monday night’s $130,000 Gold Final at Grand River Raceway, four of the province’s top horsemen are trying to figure out a strategy to use against track and world record holder Luck Of Michelle.

“I don’t know what strategy you use when you draw in with a real good one like that,” says Guelph resident Gregg McNair, who will send out Canadette and Real Beauty from Posts 1 and 2 in Monday’s Final. “Sitting in the two-hole? I don’t know if that’s a good spot to be for any of them. She’ll take the heart out of a few of them I think.”

In her first two lifetime starts Luck Of Michelle hit the wire a total of 24 lengths ahead of the competition. In her June 24 debut she rocketed away from a field of Flamboro Breeders contestants to post a 1:53.3 world record for a freshman filly on a half-mile track, and in last week’s Gold Elimination at Grand River Raceway she left a field of talented Ontario sired fillies in her wake en route to a track record 1:55.2.

“She seems to do it so effortlessly,” says John Pentland, who trains the wunderkind for his wife Natalie Pentland of Dorchester and Karen Carroll of Shedden. “Natalie and I were up until 3:30 am Monday night talking and I still woke up at 6 am. I’m sure I’ll get past that, but Wayne Carroll said the same thing; it’s hard to put out of your mind.”

Luck Of Michelle’s effortless style, sizeable winning margins and world record are already drawing early comparisons to another Ontario-sired super filly. As a two-year-old in 1998 Odies Fame racked up an 11 race win streak, besting her rivals by an average of six lengths, and paced to a world record 1:52.3 over Rideau Carleton Raceway’s five-eighths mile oval that has yet to be lowered.

“Mike Saftic said that actually, he said, “She’s doing what Odies Fame did to horses,'” says Pentland. “It’s amazing to have a horse compared to that.”

“Fillies like John’s got only come around once in a while,” notes McNair. “I imagine there will be a lot of people going to watch two-year-old pacing fillies with a mare like that in it.”

Fans heading to Elora on Monday to see the freshman fillies in action should find Luck Of Michelle back at the top of her game. After a two day vacation following their elimination wins, Pentland says Luck Of Michelle and her stablemate Jans Luck were in fine fettle on Thursday.

“They both jogged today and they were both really fresh and feeling good, especially the Michelle horse, she was kicking like she was in the paddock,” says the trainer. “I gave her two days off after the race and she seems fresher this week that she did off the 1:53.3 mile at Flamboro.

“I’m not sure how to talk about her without sounding like I’m bragging,” adds Pentland cautiously. “But if she’s still on her game she probably will win.”

Mike Saftic will pilot Luck Of Michelle from Post 4 on Monday, which Pentland says should suit her perfectly, and Jans Luck will attempt to carve out her own niche in the Ontario Sires Stakes program from Post 7.

Natalie Pentland and CJS Stables Inc. of London share ownership on Jans Cam, who in any other year would stand at the head of the class based on her third-place finish in the June 24 Flamboro Breeders and 1:58.4 victory in last week’s elimination round. This season however, the Camluck daughter is standing in the sizeable shadow of her more famous stablemate.

“She dug in and raced well last week, went a decent mile, and deserves to be in the Final,” says Pentland. “I think she’s legitimate enough to hang around the Golds.”

Jans Luck will have another opportunity to prove her legitimacy, and Luck Of Michelle her dominance, in the ninth race on Grand River Raceway’s Monday, July 10 program. The first race at the Elora half-mile goes postward at 7:30 pm.

For complete results please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/egrvrmo.html#N9