by Karen Briggs, WEG Media

Campbellville, ON — Carl Jamieson’s promising Federal Flex flew home to capture the first leg of the Bridger Series for freshman trotters two weeks ago at Mohawk. Now, after sitting out the series second leg, he’s set to flex his muscles in the C$50,000 final as the 4-5 favorite.

Jody Jamieson shares ownership of the son of Muscles Yankee, out of Scully FBI, with Ken Henwood and Jeffrey Gillis, and he’ll be in the bike this Thursday night (August 21) to guide the colt in his second career start. The pair have drawn the plum two post, but in a short field of five, the advantage might be minimized — especially with Russell Hill, who won the Bridger sequel last Thursday in Federal Flex’s absence, on his inside with post position one.

Russell Hill also has the edge in mileage, being a veteran of four starts now, with a win, two seconds, and a third to show for his early efforts. Beaten in the final strides of the Bridger opener after having set the pace for much of the mile, the son of Conway Hall-Southwind Maywood showed an ability to battle back last week as he overtook Triumphant Caviar in the stretch to win in 1:57.1.

Bred and owned by Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld, Russell Hill calls the barn of Jimmy Takter home and is going postward as the 5-2 second choice, with Paul MacDonell at the lines.

Watch the freshman hopefuls duke it out in their first big stakes final on Thursday night. It’s race number one on the card, post time 7:30 p.m.