by Frank Salive, for Western Fair Raceway

London, ON — Trainer Casie Coleman shows no shortage of enthusiasm when asked if her stable stalwart, Our Lucky Killean, will be back to defend the Molson Pace title he captured in dramatic fashion in 2006 at London’s Western Fair Raceway.

“We’ll be there with bells on, we’re really looking forward to it,” Coleman says. “We actually nominated two this year, ‘Lucky’ and Blue Burner. With ‘Lucky’ we feel we have a great chance to have him peaking again for Molson Pace time. Blue Burner is still a pretty big question mark.”

Our Lucky Killean is ten starts deep into his 6-year-old season without a win, though he has a pair of runner-up finishes and seven top three showings thus far in 2007.

The Camluck-Our Emblem gelding won last year’s edition in the closing strides to provide breeder Killean Acres of Ingersoll with one of the biggest wins in farm history. Though he appeared hopelessly locked in on the final turn as Mark MacDonald drove Dr No away to a big lead in the stretch, Jack Moiseyev persisted until a lane opened and he rallied Our Lucky Killean up just in time to take a share of London’s all-age track record of 1:53.

The game plan is to either qualify or get in a race in the coming week for Our Lucky Killean. The winner of $819,142 lifetime for St. Albert, Alberta owner Mac Nichol will also be on the verge of joining the Canadian millionaires club when the Molson Pace eliminations roll around on May 25 and the C$250,000 final on June 1.

Coleman further explains that Jack Moiseyev has been given first call to drive ‘Lucky’ in this year’s Molson Pace.

“He won with him in London last year and put his life’s mark of 1:49.4 on him last September at Mohawk. He’s got a great feel for the horse and I hope his schedule works out to come to Western Fair again this time,” she added.

The noted statistic of a lack of a single win picture thus far in 2007 for the defending Molson Pace champion seems no particular cause for concern to his O’Brien Award winning conditioner.

“He may be winless in ten starts this year but in a lot of cases things just haven’t gone his way,” Coleman says. “At Hoosier Park in the Dan Patch he had no trip options when he got parked all the way and we found he’d tied up. I was really proud of him in the Battle of Lake Erie when Maltese Artist (also a Molson Pace eligible) went that record trip. ‘Lucky’ was locked in solid all the way around the final turn and came charging at the finish which leads us to think he’ll be at the top of his game for Molson Pace time again.”

Monday – More Molson Pace previews

The weekly top pace at Western Fair on Monday, May 14, has been structured as a Preferred Handicap by Race Secretary and General Manager Ian Fleming. There are four Molson Pace 2007 eligibles in the field of seven starters for the C$16,100 purse in the second race of the 4:05 p.m. card.

Rare Jewel, trained by Brett Robinson for Hamilton, ON owner Norman Vartanian has been ordered to start on the extreme outside in this field and at the time of entry it was noted that Chris Christoforou was hired to drive.

Just to his inside in post six will be Silent Swing, who is fresh from tying the Grand River Raceway track record of 1:54 in a stunning May 7 qualifier. Paul MacKenzie is named to drive Silent Swing, who set the Charlottetown Driving Park track record last year and was the runner-up in the Gold Cup and Saucer.

The other Molson Pace eligibles in the field are Albert In The City (post three) and Acceptable Risk (post four).

The Monday program also features the C$18,400 Preferred Trot in the eighth race. Surfing Angus has been tabbed as the 5-2 early line favorite with Brad Forward named to drive the John Bond stable member for owner W.J. McDougall of Hartley, Delaware. In his previous two London starts in 2007 on March 19 and April 2, Surfing Angus was a romping winner both times.

Trends and records

Driver Brad Forward is on pace to surpass the 2006 wins and earnings records he set at Western Fair Raceway. In the second week of May, Forward leads the London drivers’ standings with 92 wins and over C$635,000 in purses. That’s over halfway to his 2006 total of 173 wins and just under C$1.2 million in earnings at Western Fair.

On the Tuesday, May 15 program, trotting mare Bennett Express goes out in search of her eighth straight win of 2007 in the first race. The homebred miss, racing for Blake Bennett of Belmont, ON, is the first and only starter to receive a 1-5 morning line estimate this year at Western Fair, fresh from stepping to a 2:00.2 life’s mark last week for regular pilot Don McElroy.

Through June 29, post time each Monday and Tuesday afternoon at Western Fair is 4:05 p.m., with Friday evening cards turning to the gate at 7:35 p.m.