from Harness Racing Communications, a division of the USTA

Freehold, NJ — Canada’s top 2-year-old trotter of 2008, Federal Flex, will make his 3-year-old debut Saturday night (June 20) in the eliminations for the C$280,000 Goodtimes at Mohawk Racetrack. The colt is ranked No. 4 on the most recent “Road to the Hambletonian,” put out by Meadowlands Racetrack announcer Ken Warkentin. Muscle Hill, who won last week’s New Jersey Sire Stakes championship, holds the top spot.

Federal Flex, trained by Jeff Gillis and driven by Jody Jamieson, won five of nine races and $479,167 last year on his way to receiving his division’s O’Brien Award. His triumphs included the Valley Victory and a division of the Champlain Stakes. He is a son of 1998 Hambletonian winner Muscles Yankee and 2003 Classic Series champion Scully FBI.

Among the other entries in the Goodtimes elims, I Won’t Dance has won four of five races this season, including an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Final. He was unraced last year. He is trained by Per Henriksen. Southern Rocketop, who earlier this month tied the track record at Balmoral Park with a 1:53.3 victory, is in the third and final elim. He is 3-for-3 this year for trainer Robert Taylor and driver Brian Carpenter.

Hambletonian eligible horses are: Aden Hanover, Dashing Earl, Federal Flex, Hurrikanebiggeorge, Illusionsndreams, I Won’t Dance, Neighsay Hanover, Reinsman Hanover, Striking Lindsey, Truth In Action, Winning Mister, and Zero Boundaries.

Here’s the fields for the Goodtimes eliminations, with drivers and trainers.

First Goodtimes elimination: 1. Duded Up, C. Christoforou, I. Fisher; 2. Hurrikanebiggeorge, Y. Gingras, J. Gillis; 3. I Won’t Dance, T. Ritchie, P. Henriksen; 4. Magic Spice, J. Jamieson, T. Hagmann; 5. Striking Lindsey, TBA, R. McNair; 6. Mr Escadar, R. Mayotte, C. Beaver; 7. Neighsay Hanover, T. Smedshammer, T. Smedshammer.

Second Goodtimes elimination: 1. Truth In Action, T. Tetrick, B. Burgess; 2. Dashing Earl, Ra. Waples, J. Arledge; 3. Hitithard, TBA, J. Ciarpelli; 4. And Heez Perfect, D. Palone, P. Foley; 5. Federal Flex, J. Jamieson, J. Gillis; 6. Reinsman Hanover, T. Smedshammer, T. Smedshammer; 7. Photoforwin, R. Beinhauer, R. Beinhauer.

Third Goodtimes elimination: 1. Winning Mister, Ra. Waples, J. Arledge; 2. Zero Boundaries, P. MacDonell, J. Bax; 3. Aden Hanover, P. Henriksen, P. Henriksen; 4. Lukas Rossi, J. Moiseyev, R. O’Neill; 5. Southern Rocketop, B. Carpenter, R. Taylor; 6. Hibbler, M. Saftic, H. Poulton; 7. Illusionsndreams, S. Condren, T. Durand.