by Jeff Renton, media/communications, Woodbine Entertainment Group

Toronto, ON — Greatest Image, a new recruit into trainer Gary Bourgon’s barn, will be looking to sweep the three-year-old trot division of the Ontario Sires Autumn Series at Woodbine, as the son of Balanced Image has drawn into Thursday’s (December 8) C$50,500 final.

In the opening leg, the bay colt recorded a going-away, four and a half length victory from the 10 hole, and last week he posted a four and a quarter length margin in a 1:57 mile.

WEG Photo

Greatest Image is favored in the O.S.A.S. Final on Thursday.

And although Bourgon, a resident of Milton, Ontario, doesn’t yet know the ins and outs of Greatest Image (post one, Paul MacDonell, 2-1), he likes what he’s seen so far.

“I really don’t know a whole lot about him,” said Bourgon, 51. “I just got him last week. (Trainer) Anders Wolden did all the groundwork on this colt, I just happened to be around at the right time.”

Of the 10 horse field that is set to go postward for Thursday’s third race (8:18 p.m.), three of the participants have notched wins in the preliminary legs. Pierre Lavec (post seven, Luc Ouellette, 7-2) and Speeden (post eight, Torgeir Hagmann, 9-2) will be searching for the lion’s share of the big pot, while Viva Paco (post nine, Ross Battin, 7-2) will also be looking for a sweep of the series.

“He’s a nice, big, strong colt. He can go a whole lot, and I guess we’ll find out how much he can go on Thursday,” Bourgon said of Greatest Image, who is currently sporting a record of 4-1-2 and $38,441, in earnings from 11 starts. “As far as I can tell, he’s just a typical Balanced Image with an aggressive style. When he goes you can just feel the power in his stride.”

Owned by Georgetown, Ontario’s Erkki Laakkonen and bred by Kentucky’s Brittany Farms, Greatest Image was unraced as a two-year-old, is out of the Valley Victory mare Armbro Mascara and was a $54,000 yearling purchase.

“The rail’s not always the best place to be, especially on a big track,” Bourgon said, referring to Greatest Image’s starting spot. “I imagine that the other horses (who won preliminary legs) will be going to the front, so if he can leave and get spotted well, he’ll be in behind them.

“I’m thinking that if that happens, from the head of the lane onward, the best horse will win.”

This division of the O.S.A.S. was written for O.S.S.-eligible, non-winners of C$40,000 lifetime, as of September 30, 2005.

The complete field is below.

Head # – Horse – (Post Position) – Driver – Trainer – Line
1 – The Original – (pp5) – J. Jamieson – D. Arthur – 4-1
1A – Viva Paco – (pp9) – R. Battin – D. Arthur – 7-2
2 – Speeden – (pp8) – T. Hagmann – H. Lunde – 9-2
2B – Surfing Angus – (pp10) – T. Ritchie – H. Lunde – 9-2
3 – Greatest Image – (pp1) – P. MacDonell – G. Bourgon – 2-1
4 – Wake Up Little Gus – (pp2) – M. Saftic – R. McNair – 12-1
5 – Mystic Conquest – (pp3) – R. Gassien – M. Wade – 5-1
6 – Windriftvalleystar – (pp4) – M. MacNeill – H. Stead – 15-1
7 – JM Wally – (pp6) – T. Henry – R. Henry – 25-1
8 – Pierre Lavec – (pp7) – L. Ouellette – A. Sisco – 7-2
9 – Carscot Max – (ppAE1) – C. Christoforou – J. Walker – 15-1

Note: All horses will be racing from the Retention Barn.