by Greg Gangle, WEG Communications

Campbellville, ON — Even though his horse finished second in a division of the Somebeachsomewhere Stakes last Saturday at Mohawk, trainer and co-owner Jim Ainsworth had nothing but praise for his star pacer Sweet Talkin Satin.

The son of Always A Virgin-Silky Satin was second to Vegas Vacation, who lowered the stakes record with his 1:48.3 performance. Sweet Talkin Satin, driven by Rick Zeron, was only 1-1/2 lengths back of the winner, timed in a sizzling 1:48.4.

New Image Media photo

Sweet Talkin Satin has banked $90,813 in his brief career.

Following that effort, Sweet Talkin Satin earned his spot against North America’s best when he leaves from post six in the third and final Pepsi North America Cup elimination this Saturday at the Campbellville oval.

“I never thought he would be this good, but he’s been going in the right direction. We went into that race figuring he was a player and had a shot,” Ainsworth said, referring to Sweet Talkin Satin’s latest effort. “He just took his game to a whole new level and certainly fits in with these 3-year-olds.”

If it wasn’t for Sweet Talkin Satin’s terrific performance, Ainsworth said he likely wouldn’t be racing the six-time winner this weekend.

“He earned his spot,” he said. “That was an impressive final quarter and final half, so he deserves to race on Saturday. If he just put in a mediocre effort and wasn’t a big threat, we likely wouldn’t have raced him.”

Ainsworth, a resident of Sarnia, Ontario, recalls purchasing the Indiana-sired colt in the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale in 2011.

“I didn’t go to the sale, but I sure remember how we got him,” chuckled the veteran conditioner. “My wife was in the emergency room at the hospital due to an abscessed tooth and my partner, Bill Boden, came across a yearling that he liked in Kentucky, so he quickly got to Lexington from British Columbia, where he’s from, and when he got there, he was the under bidder on the yearling we liked for around $85,000. We didn’t get him, but then he came across Sweet Talkin Satin and liked the looks of him. A strapping, impressive-looking, black colt, so we ended up getting him instead for $30,000. You hear a lot of stories from people going to yearling sales for a specific horse and bringing home another one and we were no different.”

In training, Sweet Talkin Satin did everything his conditioner asked of him, but was never “eye-catching,” until roughly a month before he qualified.

“He started to figure out what it was all about right around that time,” he said. “I remember his first lifetime start. They paced in (1):52 and change and he needed racing room and couldn’t find any. He put in a great effort that day, full of pace and ended up winning his next start.”

Since then, Sweet Talkin Satin has gone on to have a terrific career so far with a 6-4-0 record from 11 starts, while being in the controls of Rick Zeron.

“He’s been put on the front quite a bit trying to overcome bad post positions, but Rick said he thought this horse would be better off cover. He said following his (1):51 life’s best, that with the right trip, he could go in (1):48. I chuckled, as most people would and moved on. Well the fractions set up right the other night and he was timed in 1:48.4, so I guess Rick was right after all,” Ainsworth said.

Coming into Saturday, Sweet Talkin Satin once again teams up with Zeron.

“If he races the same way he did last weekend, that should be good enough to earn a spot in the final. If it’s not and he races the same way, there’s no shame in that. He’s been impressive so far this season and right now, we’re just enjoying the ride. It’s just great to be a part of it.”