SUDBURY, ON — An outstanding line up of three-year-old trotting colts will fire up fans at Sudbury Downs on Saturday evening as they compete for a total of $93,380 in the Grassroots wild card.

Among the Gold Series regulars taking advantage of the event’s wild card status, which allows them to drop down for one race without having skip the next Gold event, is reigning Gold Final champ Abbey Road C. The Incredible Abe son and trainer-driver Keith Jones will attempt to score their sixth victory from Post 7 in the fifth race and Jones is confident the outside post will not affect the gelding’s chances.

“I don’t think it will matter too much. He had the seven-hole at Flamboro and it didn’t make a difference. He’s pretty handy right now,” says the Midhurst resident. “Mind you I wouldn’t mind being inside, but I’ll take the seven-hole.”

Abbey Road C captured the Aug. 18 Gold Final at Flamboro Downs in a track and Ontario Sires Stakes record 1:56.1 and also started from Post 7 when he shattered the track record at Hanover Raceway in the inaugural Dream Of Glory trot Final on Aug. 3. Since Jones added trotting hopples to the gelding’s equipment on July 6 Abbey Road C has recorded four wins and one second in five starts and banked $119,095 on behalf of owner George Charlton of Utopia.

“I knew he could trot fast, but if something bothered him he’d run. The trotting hopples just seem to hold him together,” says Jones. “He just needs them until he gets around the first turn, then he’s pretty solid.”

Although Abbey Road C has not raced since the Aug. 18 Final Jones says he was not scheduled for any heavy work heading into Saturday’s event at Sudbury Downs. “He’s the type of horse that he doesn’t need a lot of work. He’s better if you have a light schedule,” explains Jones. “He had four tough weeks in a row there and I didn’t train him coming back for this race.”

Jones will also send out Grassroots regular E B Joe in Saturday’s wild card event. The Must B Sunny colt is a recent addition to the Jones barn and the trainer admits his stay may be short-lived.

“I claimed him for $5,500 out of Flamboro about a month and a half ago and he’s been a pleasant surprise so far. He was third in the Grassroots at Hanover (Aug. 17),” says Jones, who also owns the colt. “But after this race he may be back in a claimer.”

A solid finish in the seventh race would extend E B Joe’s stay in the Jones string. With one second, one third and one fifth in four Grassroots starts to his credit, the colt sits just below the cut off for post season action.With one regular season event remaining, a top three finish would bump him into contention for a berth in the Oct. 27 Semifinal.

E B Joe will start from Post 9 on Saturday and Jones hopes the winner of $26,008 can use the trailing post to his advantage.

“I would have liked to be on the gate, but hopefully he can suck along and maybe get some money,” he says. “He’s got good gate speed, but he sometimes tapers off at the end.”

Among the colts E B Joe will face is division leader J Ls Sunny Boy, who will start from the outside Post 8 in the seventh race.

Sudbury Downs sends its first race postward at 7:15 pm on Saturday and the three-year-old trotting colts will liven things up in Races 3, 5 and 7.