LONDON, ON — Western Fair Raceway kicks off its 2004 Ontario Sires Stakes season with an impressive line up of three-year-old pacing fillies competing in five Gold Series Eliminations on Saturday evening.

The top four Gold fillies from last season — Serious Comfort, Taylor Lynne, Invitro and Double Creme — plus Grassroots champion Fit For Britt, are all back in top form and ready to take on a host of newcomers.

Among the fillies hoping to carve out a niche for herself amidst the Gold stars is Putnam Fantasy, owned by Martin Bardoel’s Putnam Training Centre, Jamie Bardoel of London and Alex and Martin Hossack of Thamesford. Lightly raced at two, Putnam Fantasy has posted two wins and a second at Flamboro Downs this season, including a 1:56.2 victory on April 17.

“She’s raced pretty good over the half-mile track, hopefully she does that again Saturday,” says Bardoel, who raised the Island Fantasy daughter at his Putnam facility.

Following her impressive mile at Flamboro trainer Bill Budd sent Putnam Fantasy to Mohawk Racetrack for two legs of the Princess Pacing Series, but Bardoel says the leggy filly did not seem as comfortable on the larger oval, where she finished fifth and seventh.

“When we took her to Mohawk she put in some steps,” says the horseman. “Maybe she just likes the half mile track.

“We might have to go a class down if she’s no good on the big track. We might have to go to the Grassroots.”

Mike Saftic will pilot Putnam Fantasy from Post 5 in Saturday’s eighth race, where she will need a top two finish to earn a berth in the May 28 Gold Final. With five eliminations only the winner is guaranteed a spot in the $130,000 Final, with three second-place finishers advancing by luck of the draw.

In addition to her affinity for half-mile tracks, Putnam Fantasy will benefit from the draw that landed all of last seasons stars in other divisions. Serious Comfort will start from Post 6 in Race 1, Race 2 features Taylor Lynne from Post 1 and Invitro from Post 7, Double Creme starts from Post 6 in Race 6 and Fit For Britt gets Post 3 in the eleventh.

Western Fair Raceway raises the curtain on its Saturday afternoon program at 3:15 pm and the three-year-old pacing fillies star in Races 1, 3, 6, 8, and 11.