LONDON, ON — For the third straight Friday, Western Fair Raceway fans will be treated to Ontario Sires Stakes action from the three-year-old pacing fillies, but this week’s Trillium event features a completely different cast of characters. And for most owners and trainers, the absence of the Gold Series stars who shattered records at the London half-mile over the last two weeks was a relief.

“We kind of debated putting her in, we thought it was going to be so tough,” admits London resident Jean Young. “We were really afraid that John Pentland would have his two good fillies in.”

Young was delighted to see that Jan’s Luck, Luck Of Michelle, and their rival Michelle’s Power were absent from Friday’s entries, and she was also pleased with the draw that saw Sammy Syd land Post 5 in the only race that does not feature a filly with earnings over $350,000.

“Our class is not as tough,” says the trainer, who shares ownership on Sammy Syd with her husband Gord Young. “So I’m hoping that she’ll do okay; I’m hoping that she’ll get a cheque.”

Astreos daughter Sammy Syd heads into Friday’s $23,167 contest off a win in overnight action at Hanover Raceway on June 2, and a third-place finish in the Grassroots season opener at Georgian Downs on May 22. Through six starts this season the filly has one win and two thirds to her credit.

“She’s done just marvellous, we’re quite happy with her,” says Young. “She’s tall, and big, and strong, and a little bullheaded, but that’s okay.”

Young trains one or two horses a year as a hobby and admits that Sammy Syd can be a handful, but that the winner of $23,355 is all business when she gets onto the racetrack.

“She can be mean, but she knows when she’s out of hand, and all I have to do is speak to her,” explains the horsewoman. “She is hyper in the paddock, but once she gets the harness on and gets out on the racetrack, it’s like that’s where she wants to be.”

Ross Battin, who drove the filly to the 1:56.4 victory in Hanover, will be back in the race bike on Friday and Young has every confidence in the seven-time winner of the Ontario Sires Stakes’ leading driver award.

“She’s raced in London before, so hopefully she’ll be okay,” notes the trainer. “And with Ross driving her; he’s a great driver with the young ones.”

Young expects a sizeable group of supporters to be on hand for Sammy Syd’s 2007 Trillium Series debut, and the longtime owner would love to see the filly do well in front of her hometown crowd.

“We’ve got a lot of friends that have been coming out to watch her, and definitely in London they’ll be there,” she says. “Sammy Syd will likely be my last horse, so it would be nice if she could end off our career in racing by doing well.”

Sammy Syd and her Race 1 peers will kick start the Western Fair Raceway program this Friday at 7:35 pm, with the other two Trillium Series divisions slated for Races 2 and 8. Race 2 features $484,165 winner Appleoosa Hanover from Post 1, while Race 8 will see $369,783 winner Canadette, who skipped last week’s Gold Series in favour of a victorious trip west for the Northlands Filly Pace, tackle the London oval from Post 4.

For complete results please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/elonfr.html