REXDALE, ON — Only five fillies have signed up for the task of tackling division leader Luck Of Michelle in Saturday’s two-year-old pacing filly Super Final and trainer John Pentland says the Camluck daughter is ready to give them all a run for their money.

“This last week she’s just been great,” says the Dorchester resident. “She’s eating well, feeling good and she trained huge Tuesday. She feels like she could go another good part of a season.”

Pentland was relieved to see the filly bounce back to her usual good feeling self after a disappointing third-place finish — her first loss in the Ontario Sires Stakes program — in Gold Elimination action at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sept. 28.

“I’m not making excuses for her, those other fillies were bang on, but she just wasn’t 100 per cent in the Ottawa experience,” notes the trainer, adding that the deep track, rated three seconds slower than normal, post eight and a long trip around the outside were also factors in Luck Of Michelle’s uncharacteristically poor showing.

Through their first seven starts, Luck Of Michelle and driver Mike Saftic cruised to seven straight victories starting with a world record performance for freshman pacing fillies on a half-mile track in a division of the Flamboro Breeders Stakes. The precocious pacer then cruised through elimination and final wins in two Gold Series events before capturing her Robert Stewart Memorial and Eternal Camnation divisions at Mohawk Racetrack.

Stepping out against the top fillies in North America in the She’s A Great Lady at Mohawk, Luck Of Michelle was second by a neck in her elimination and second by three-quarters of a length from Post 9 in the final. Back in Gold Series action at Mohawk in September, she posted a 1:53.1 personal best from Post 10 in the elimination and collected her third straight Gold Final trophy on a track rated two seconds slower than normal.

Natalie Pentland of Dorchester and Karen Carroll of Shedden share ownership on the winner of $614,652, who will start from Post 5 in the six filly field on Saturday.

Pentland will also harness a pair of three-year-old pacing fillies in the eighth race and, regardless of where they finish on Saturday, the trainer is justifiably proud of Bold Bidder and Even Now’s accomplishments over the last two years.

“I kind of have to admit that it feels like a bit of a feather in the cap to have two fillies that were there at the start of their two-year-old season, they were at the first Gold, to have them make the Super Final as two-year-olds and to have both of them come back and make the Super Final this year,” he says. “I would be lying to you if I said it didn’t feel good.”

As two-year-olds Bold Bidder and Even Now finished eighth and ninth in the lucrative season finale, so their trainer would like to see them improve on that effort. The first hurdle toward taking home a piece of the $300,000 purse was cleared when Bold Bidder and driver Luc Ouellette drew Post 3 and Even Now and Mike Saftic landed Post 5.

“I was thrilled when I saw the draw,” admits Pentland. “Those are good posts and they are both horses that like to leave, now it’s all up to the guys what they do.

“As long as Luc (Ouellette) doesn’t park Even Now like he did last year in the Super Final,” adds the trainer wryly.

Neither filly heads into the race off a superlative performance, but Pentland says the rest has served both fillies well.

“I’m not afraid that they haven’t had a start in three weeks. I think both fillies were getting tired,” says the horseman, adding that Bold Bidder came up sick after her last start. “Probably three weeks off will do them as much good as a start would have.

“Both of them are capable of a top three finish,” he adds. “It’s a really close race, right across.”

Pentland trains Grinfromeartoear daughter Bold Bidder for Karen Carroll and Rustler Hanover lass Even Now for his wife Natalie Pentland and CJS Stables Inc. of London. Pentland and the CJS Stable members, Craig Dawkins, John Curk and Sam Rondinelli, also bred Even Now.

Fans will catch the freshman pacing fillies in their $300,000 season finale in Race 4 and the sophomore pacing fillies in Race 8. Post time for Woodbine Racetrack’s lucrative Super Final program is 7:40 pm on Saturday, Oct. 14.

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