GLOUCESTER, ON — With Porsche Hall starting from Post 3 in Thursday’s Gold Final at Rideau Carleton Raceway, Sebastian Benenati has cancelled the three-year-old trotting filly’s appointment with a colleague in a more obscure field of medicine than that practised by the Michigan foot and ankle specialist.

“We were at the point where we tried to make it to the draw to see if something was going on, if we needed to call in a witch doctor,” jokes the amiable Benenati. “That was pretty incredible.”

Thursday’s $130,000 contest will be the first time this season Porsche Hall has started on the inside half of the starting gate in Ontario Sires Stakes action. In her Gold Series debut at Hiawatha Horse Park in May she drew Post 8 for the elimination and Post 9 for the Final. At Western Fair Raceway in June she drew Post 7 in the elimination and the trailing Post 8 in the final and then landed Post 9 in her Canadian Breeders Championship elimination at Mohawk Racetrack on July 21.

Compared to the first two Gold events, Post 6 at Mohawk for the Aug. 7 Gold Elimination was a significant improvement in Porsche Hall’s luck. The daughter of Angus Hall and Bankers Jackpot finished fourth in the elimination, then scored Post 6 again for the Aug. 14 final and delivered an impressive 1:56 effort over a rain soaked track rated one second slower than normal to upset heavy favourite Pure Ivory and claim her first Gold Series victory.

In last week’s elimination at Rideau Carleton, Porsche Hall and trainer-driver Terry Kerr moved one spot closer to the rail and were effortless 1:57.2 winners, leading the field of nine from start to finish.

“I said to my partner, if she keeps racing like this, maybe we can move up to a Ferrari from a Porsche,” quips Benenati, who bred and owns Porsche Hall in partnership with Bet Max Stables Inc. of Casco, MI.

Unable to make the trip to Ottawa, Benenati will be watching Thursday’s Gold Final from home and the long time owner acknowledges that Porsche Hall will have her work cut out for her to add a second Gold Final win to her resume.

“It is a field of great fillies. Pure Ivory is a beautiful animal, as are all the others,” says the owner and breeder. “I think Terry said it last week, whoever gets the best trip will win.”

Benenati gives a great deal of credit to Terry Kerr for his care and management of Porsche Hall, who has only missed a cheque on one occasion and boasts a record of seven wins, two seconds and two thirds in 17 starts through her career for earnings of $267,169.

“He’s a very talented trainer and driver. I’m still trying to figure out what a Swedish blind bridle is,” says Benenati in reference to an equipment change Kerr made the night of Porsche Hall’s Gold Final victory.

“The great thing about Terry Kerr is that he’s open to suggestion,” he adds. “Obviously he knows what he is doing, but he takes everything under consideration, and you can tell he’s out for the best for the animal.”

Porsche Hall is the fifth foal out of Benenati Inc. and Bet Max Stables Inc.’s gifted Michigan fair circuit mare Banker’s Jackpot, who strung together a total of 25 wins between 1995 and 1997 and earned $167,886 for the partners. While Porsche Hall does not resemble her mother in size and shape, Benenati says they seem to share an appetite for racing.

“It seems like she has an attitude — you go see her in the barn and she almost puts her head on your shoulder so you can pet her, but put her on the racetrack and it’s like, �Who brought that animal to the racetrack?'” explains Benenati. “Jackpot was the same way.

“It came time last year for the Grassroots Final and we went back to the barn and went up to Porsche Hall and she was sleeping in her stall. I actually asked Terry if she was ready to race, if there was something wrong with her, and he said, �That’s just the way she is,'” adds the owner. “I thought I wanted a horse with fire and brimstone, but she knows when to turn it on.”

Benenati and his partners will be hoping Porsche Hall can turn it on in the ninth race at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Thursday and pick up her fourth win of the season. This season’s other Gold Final winners, Oaklea Odessa and Pure Ivory, will start from Posts 6 and 9 in the $130,000 contest. Post time at the Ottawa oval is 6:30 pm.

For complete entries please go to:

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