LONDON, ON — In the days leading up to Friday’s $130,000 Gold Final at Western Fair Raceway, trainer John Pentland mentioned that Jan’s Luck seemed to be asserting herself more around stablemate and turn-out partner Luck Of Michelle; that she seemed less willing to take a backseat to last year’s Ontario Sires Stakes champion.

By the conclusion of Friday’s seventh race, Jan’s Luck had made it very clear to all present that she has no plans to take a backseat to anybody this season.

As the three-year-old pacing fillies headed down to the starting gate, fans gave Luck Of Michelle the edge over last week’s track record setter Michelle’s Power and Jan’s Luck, and as the gate rolled away from the field of eight, Luck Of Michelle delivered the early sprint to the front from Post 3 that her backers were counting on.

Leaving from the advantageous Post 1, Jan’s Luck and driver Mark MacDonald landed in second spot behind their stablemate, while Michelle’s Power got away sixth from Post 5.

Luck Of Michelle and driver Mike Saftic continued on the lead through a :28.2 opening quarter, :57.4 half and 1:25.2 three-quarters, with Jan’s Luck tucked in second and Simply Mavelous and Michelle’s Power trying to claw their way up the outside.

As the field of talented fillies turned for home the roar from the London grandstand could be heard halfway across the province. Luck Of Michelle was battling to maintain her lead, but Mark MacDonald had Jan’s Luck in high gear and Michelle’s Power was looking for racing room. Sprinting under the wire it was Jan’s Luck by three-quarters of a length over Luck Of Michelle, with Michelle’s Power three lengths back in third.

The roar from the fans continued as the toteboard flashed up the time for the mile, a track record 1:53.1, just one-fifth of a second off the all age track record at the London oval.

The victory was the second of the season for Jan’s Luck — who captured her elimination in a comparatively pedestrian 1:55 last Friday — and her first in a Gold Final. CJS Stables Inc. of London and Natalie Pentland of Dorchester share ownership of the filly, who was a $22,000 yearling purchase at the 2005 Forest City Sale and earned $20,958 from six starts as a two-year-old before wrapping her season up early. Natalie Pentland is also a part-owner of Luck Of Michelle, with Karen Carroll of Shedden.

Jan’s Luck, Luck Of Michelle and Michelle’s Power are all sired by Camluck, who was the leading stallion in all four Ontario Sires Stakes pacing divisions in 2006.

The victory also marked the second trip to the winner’s circle, and the second track record, of the evening for Mark MacDonald, who piloted aged trotter R Devilish Dude to a 1:56.2 triumph in the second race. The reinsman could not make it three in a row however, settling for fifth in the $255,000 Molson Pace Final, which was won by Rare Jewel in a track record equalling 1:53.

John Pentland’s superstars will now enjoy a brief break after kicking off another successful season for the Dorchester resident. The pair are expected to make their next start in a Flamboro Breeders event on June 17 at Flamboro Downs, before parting company for the remainder of the month when Luck Of Michelle heads to the Lady Catskill Eliminations at Monticello Raceway in New York on June 27, and Jan’s Luck begins defence of her Gold Final title at Mohawk Racetrack on June 24.

“Michelle has got a stake, probably, in Monticello in a month, so she’ll miss the Gold at Mohawk,” said Pentland before Friday’s contest. “Jan will go to Mohawk. I think that’s where Jan will do her best racing, over Mohawk. She really likes that off the pace style.”

Many of the duo’s competitors will be returning to Western Fair Raceway next Friday, June 8, for the first of three Trillium Series events on the three-year-old pacing filly calendar this season.

For complete results please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rlonfr.html#N7