Enough Talk heading to Finland

Following their one-two finish in the $125,000 Su Mac Lad final April 16 at the Meadowlands, Lucky Jim and Arch Madness are headed for starts in next month’s Arthur J. Cutler Memorial. But Enough Talk, who won the second round of the Su Mac Lad and then finished third in the final, will apparently be bypassing the Cutler as trainer and co-owner Peter Kleinhans told harnessracing.com he plans on sending the trotter to Finland for the Finlandia Ajo on Sunday, May 2.

 

“That’s the plan; it’s a perfect spot for him since it’s a five-eighths mile, speed-favoring track,” Kleinhans said Tuesday afternoon, April 20. “It makes a lot more sense than going in the Cutler where you have to have an elimination and then a final against Lucky Jim and Arch Madness. And then I hope that leads up to the Elitlopp.”

 

Kleinhans said he expects travel restrictions due to the volcanic ash hovering over Europe to be eased by early next week, so he plans on flying Enough Talk overseas no later than Wednesday, April 28. Kleinhans said Enough Talk would fly to Amsterdam before being shipped to Paris for two days of training, and then boarding another plane to Helsinki for the race.

 

“We’re rushing to try and get the international Coggin’s test done,” said Kleinhans, who shares ownership of the $1.2 million-winning, 7-year-old son of Enjoy Lavec with Jerry Silva. “We weren’t considering the race until we got a call and told us what the conditions were, so it seemed like a perfect spot.

 

“Still, if we don’t make it, it’s not the end of the world as then we’d go in the Cutler.”

 

Kleinhans added he is hoping to receive an invitation to the May 30 Elitlopp in the next couple days. Following the Finlandia, he is looking to start Enough Talk in the Oslo Grand Prix in Norway as a final prep for the Elitlopp and a possible match-up with Lucky Jim, who has already received an invitation from Solvalla officials.

 

“I feel we may have a little bit of an edge on Lucky Jim on a speed-favoring five-eighths (like Sovalla), which works more to our game than his,” said Kleinhans.

 

This would be Enough Talk’s third start in the Elitlopp. In 2008 he finished second in his elimination and then third in the final, and then last year he finished sixth in his elim and failed to advance. Luc Ouellette drove the trotter both years, and Kleinhans said he plans on naming Ouellette for this year’s renewal.