by Karen Briggs, WEG media

Toronto, ON — Just how good is Changing Gears?

Trainer and co-owner Gary Kingshott may find out on Valentine’s Day, when the 3-year-old daughter of Grinfromeartoear steps onto the Woodbine oval to challenge an 11-horse field in the C$45,200 final of the Miss Vera Bars Pacing Series.

Changing Gears was unraced as a 2-year-old, but in a mere four starts in 2008 she has made handicappers and horsemen alike take notice, racking up three wins in a row before swallowing a narrow defeat to Blair Burgess trainee Blue Mist in the second leg of the Miss Vera Bars Series last Thursday.

Paul MacDonell had a tough choice to make going into the final. In the opening and second legs of the series, he has had the drive on both Changing Gears and Gerries Madison — who like her rival enjoyed a win in the opener and was second in the subsequent leg.

“It wasn’t an easy call, but I decided to go with Changing Gears,” he said. “To me she seems to be getting better every week.

“This series is a good stepping stone to vault her up to that next level. The big picture is the Ontario Sires Stakes later on in the year, and we hope she’ll go to that level.”

A $5,500 yearling purchase who is a full sister to another Kingshott pupil, 4-year-old Transcending, Changing Gears has shown some impressive mental toughness for a filly with so little experience. But her greenness got her into a bit of trouble last week in the warm-up, when she got herself stuck in a snowbank.

“She can be a little testy when I turn her,” said MacDonell, “and she just jumped sideways and ended up to her withers in snow. We had to unhook the bike to get her out of there, but fortunately it was pretty soft and there was no harm done.

“All in all, she’s really good. I’m just going to be a little careful about turning her this time.”

Changing Gears has been made the 2-1 first choice going into the Miss Vera Bars final, which is race four on Thursday night’s card (post time 8:27 p.m.).