by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Freehold, NJ — Timokoheads to Saturday’s $1 million International Trot at Yonkers Raceway withouthaving raced since the end of June, but his connections believe the 8-year-oldFrench star is ready to roll.

BjornGoop, who drives Timoko regularly for owner/trainer Richard Westerink, said viaemail this morning that Timoko’s absence was because of stallion duty. Thehorse was scheduled to return to action in the UET Masters Trot final on Sept.13 in Belgium, but was scratched because of a fever.

Kimberly Rinker/DRF Harness photo

Timoko and Bjorn Goop at last year’s Elitloppet.

Timokoand Goop will start the International Trot, which returns to Yonkers after a20-year hiatus, from post four and are 6-1 on the morning line. Bee A Magicianis the 3-1 favorite from post five in the 10-horse invitational event, whichwill be raced at 1-1/4 miles rather than the traditional one-mile distance.

“Theyhave trained him really hard and say he is very well prepared to race supergood so expectations are higher now since we got a good post position,” Goopsaid.

Posttime is 2 p.m. for Saturday’s first race at Yonkers, with the InternationalTrot set for 3:10 p.m. approximately.

Timoko,the winner of the 2014 Elitloppet, has two Grade 1 victories this year inEurope and finished third in the Prix d’Amerique. He has won 19 of 57 careerstarts and earned $3.72 million.

“Thehorse has had a good training,” Westerink said following Tuesday’sInternational Trot draw in New York City. “He is a little light, but I don’tthink it will be a problem.”

Westerinkis looking forward to racing in the U.S. for the first time. He also is lookingforward to a strong effort from Timoko, having told Paris-Turf.com writerFabrice Theil, “I do not just come to visit Manhattan with my family.”

“Itwas a dream for me to race in the States as a child, so this is fantastic,”Westerink said Tuesday. “This is a really big race and it is good for thesport.”

TheInternational Trot was first held in 1959 and was won by France’s Jamin. Francehas won 12 editions of the race, which trails only the 13 triumphs by U.S.horses. Sweden’s His Majesty won the most recent International Trot in 1995.The event was resurrected this year by Yonkers Raceway President and CEO TimRooney.

“WithYonkers now a major player in the overseas simulcast market, we feel this isthe best time to showcase our track to the world by again inviting the besttrotters in the world to race here,” Rooney said in a statement. “We have hadtremendous cooperation from our horsemen and all of us are looking forward toit.”

Goopis no stranger to Yonkers, having raced at the Hilltop as part of the 2011World Driving Championship. Goop, in fact, made his last start in the U.S. awinning one, with a triumph in a 1-1/16 mile race at Yonkers as part of thatseries.

“Ihave driven at Yonkers before and also several half-mile tracks in Swedenregularly, so I think and hope it’s an advantage,” said Goop, who turns 39 onOct. 13.

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Sweden’sMosaique Face, the winner of the UET Masters Trot final in September andrunner-up in this year’s Elitloppet, drew post eight – the most outside spot onthe starting gate – for the International Trot.

The6-year-old stallion will be driven by Adrian Kolgjini for trainer LutfiKolgjini. Owned by Tommy Nilsson Holding AB, Mosaique Face has won 14 of 54lifetime starts and earned $1.57 million.

“Ithink the biggest competition is Mosaique Face and Bee A Magician,” Westerinksaid. “If Mosaique Face is out in front, he can win. If he is not leading, hewill not win.”

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BBSSugarlight, a 6-year-old gelding from Norway, counts this year’s Oslo GrandPrix and Olympic Trot among his 19 career wins. He will start the InternationalTrot from post nine – the trailing spot behind Creatine in post one – withJohan Untersteiner driving for trainer Fredrik Solberg.

Theearner of $827,607 in lifetime purses, BBS Sugarlight is owned by Knut Groenlieand Gunnar Jarlsen.

“Hestarted to be a really good horse one-and-a-half years ago and has been increasingall the time in his results,” Groenlie said. “Stability (is his bestattribute). He is a speedy horse from the start.”

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Italy’sOasis Bi, who finished second in the Oslo Grand Prix and third in the UETMasters Trot final, drew post 10 for trainer Stefan Pettersson and driver OrjanKihlstrom. The 7-year-old stallion has earned $1.01 million in his career andis owned by P.G. Svard’s Frackstad Lantbruks AB.

“Expectationsfall a little bit after the start position, but we are still optimistic,” saidSvard, who has a farm that produces eggs from more than 500,000 chickens nearMantorp, Sweden. “But there is enormous happiness and we are very proud for theinvitation. We are really happy to be invited and lucky to be here.”

OasisBi, bred by Italy’s Giuseppe Biasuzzi, is by Toss Out, who won a division ofthe 1993 Zweig Memorial at Syracuse, and out of the Self Possessed mare UpFront JM.

“Ibought him as a 1-year-old,” Svard said. “He has the American blood to thankfor his talent.”

OasisBi’s starting spot trails Papagayo E, who leaves from post two.

“IfPapagayo opens early and we come to the rail, I hope to follow him,” Svardsaid.

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PapagayoE, a 5-year-old stallion from Norway, will start the International Trot frompost two for trainer Jan Waaler and driver Ulf Ohlsson. He has earned $508,624lifetime and is owned by Tom Andersen and Claes Sjolin. He won this year’sJarlsberg Grand Prix and was third in the Oslo Grand Prix.

“Fantastic,”Andersen said about Papagayo E’s draw for the International Trot. “That’s whatwe hoped for – one, two or three. We have a fast horse, strong horse, and itlooks really promising. He has never been better than today, I would say. I’mreally excited to be part of this race. As everyone, we gamble, but if we havea good start we can finish in the top three.”

Thewinner of 11 of 24 career starts, Papagayo E raced only in Norway until a yearago, when he began testing the international waters.

“Wehave a couple small tracks in Norway and he was racing on those, so I thinkhe’s actually going to like this track,” Sjolin said about the half-mile ovalat Yonkers.

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OnTrack Piraten, a 7-year-old gelding from Sweden with lifetime earnings of $1.31million, will start from post six. Erik Adielsson will drive for trainer HansStromberg and owner Stall CK HB. The horse won the Prix du Luxembourg andfinished fourth in the UET Trotting Masters final.

“He’sa very strong horse,” Stromberg said.

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Five-year-oldRod Stewart, from Italy, drew post three. He finished second in this season’sGrade 1 European Championship for 5-year-olds and is trained by Jerry Riordan,a Rhode Island native who has spent the past two decades in Europe. EnricoBellei will drive the $467,260-earner for owner Graziano Ceccaroni.

Roundingout the International Trot field are U.S. representatives Creatineand Natural Herbie.

Formore about the International Trot and its participants, please visit theevent’s special website here.

Followingis the field in post order for the International Trot with listed drivers, trainersand morning line odds:

1.Creatine, Johnny Takter, Jimmy Takter, 4-1

2.Papagayo E, Ulf Ohlsson, Jan Waaler, 5-1

3.Rod Stewart, Enrico Bellei, Jerry Riordan, 12-1

4.Timoko, Bjorn Goop, Richard Westerink, 6-1

5.Bee A Magician, Brian Sears, R. Nifty Norman, 3-1

6.On Track Piraten, Erik Adielsson, Hans Stromberg, 10-1

7.Natural Herbie, Verlin Yoder, Verlin Yoder, 8-1

8.Mosaique Face, Adrian Kolgjini, Adrian Kolgjini, 6-1

9.BBS Sugarlight, Johan Untersteiner, Fredrik Solberg, 6-1

10.Oasis Bi, Orjan Kihlstrom, Stefan Pettersson, 8-1

Note:BBS Sugarlight and Oasis Bi start from the second tier.

EllenHarvey and Yonkers Raceway contributed to this report.