Windsor Raceway will be the stage for the final Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots showdown between the top two-year-old pacing colts on Wednesday evening, and Al McIntosh is hoping both Lucky Encounter and Wit And Wisdom can extend their seasons with a top three finish

.

“We’ll need some points to stay in position, I think,” says the Leamington, Ont. resident of the colts, who currently sit ninth and 15th in the Grassroots point standings. “Hopefully we can maintain our standing.”

Lucky Encounter will be looking to pad his point tally from Post 8 in the second $24,000 Grassroots division. Through the first five Grassroots events the son of Camluck and Breathles Encountr posted three second place finishes, giving him a total of 75 points.

“I think he will develop into a nicer horse, he lacks a bit of maturity,” notes McIntosh, who shares ownership of the colt with his cousin, trainer Bob McIntosh of Windsor, Ont., and C S X Stables of Liberty Center, Ohio. “I think there is more in there than he’s putting out.”

McIntosh purchased a share in the half-brother to $227,334 winner Breathdefying after watching him frolic in a field as a youngster. The longtime horseman likes to keep an eye on the McIntosh young stock, and something about Lucky Encounter caught his eye.

“I watched him growing up in the field all summer and I kind of liked the look of him, and I did like the pedigree,” recalls McIntosh. “I like going out and walking through the field to see what’s going on.

"Sometimes I’m right [about a yearling’s potential], but most of the time I’m wrong,” he adds with a chuckle.

Randy Waples will steer Lucky Encounter in his ninth start of the season, and the Milton, Ont. resident will also pilot Wit And Wisdom from Post 2 in the first Grassroots division.

With one second, one third and two fourths in his first four Grassroots starts, Wit And Wisdom has accumulated 53 points. The son of Camluck and Our May West has made steady improvement since his Aug. 14 debut, displaying a depth of talent that has surprised McIntosh.

“When we brought him in he was awful small,” recalls the breeder, who shares title of the colt with Bob McIntosh and Dwight Stacey of Mitchell, Ont. “But he’s been fairly consistent. He seems to have a fairly good attitude.”

A full brother to $100,000-plus winners Go West Lucky Cam and Good Bad Lucky, Wit And Wisdom heads into Wednesday’s test off a gritty third-place effort in the Sept. 29 Grassroots event at Flamboro Downs. Starting from Post 6 the colt sat on the outside through the entire mile, circling out three wide at the three-quarter pole to sprint around the final turn and into third.

“He was out the whole mile,” notes McIntosh. “Maybe he’ll get a little break this time.”

Bob McIntosh will also harness Hi Sir from Post 5 in the last Grassroots division on Wednesday. Currently ranked fifth in the division standings, the Sir Luck son is not in need of points, but his owner-trainer would like to see the gelding head into the post season on a high note.

The two-year-old pacing colts will battle in Races 2, 4, and 6 on Windsor Raceway’s Wednesday program, which gets under way at 7 p.m.

To view Wednesday's entries, click here.

(OSS)