Grand River Raceway will be hosting its annual Industry Day on Monday (Aug. 1) featuring the $204,000 Battle of Waterloo and the $155,000 Battle of the Belles for two-year-old pacers. Hall of Fame horseman Robert McIntosh has a homebred entry in each of these stakes and has a legitimate chance at sweeping both races.

The multiple O'Brien Award-winning trainer and breeder will send out Moment Is Here, the 5-2 second choice in the Battle of Waterloo, and Big Big Plans, the 7-5 favourite in the filly companion stakes, with Trevor Henry driving both two-year-olds.

Moment Is Here’s dam is Breathtacular (No Pan Intended-Breathless Encounter) and although she never had a racing career of her own, she’s been a productive broodmare. Among her offspring is five $100,000+ earners, including Ontario Sires Stakes Gold winner Big Moment, a son of Camluck.

“She’s always been a solid producer," McIntosh told Trot Insider. "This might be her best one yet, but she always has produced well.”

Somethinincredible (Ponder-Breathdefying) is the dam of Big Big Plans and she did have a racing career with McIntosh. She made 33 lifetime starts and won eight times, earning $334,682 in just over two full seasons of racing. Her offspring includes Preferred pacer Beyond Better, a son of Bettors Delight who has made nearly $300,000 to date.

Both of McIntosh’s entries, Moment Is Here and Big Big Plans, have the same sire, All Bets Off, and are the first wave of his offspring.

“I think he has a bright future," said McIntosh. "He has done well with his limited opportunities.”

All Bets Off had more than an impressive racing career. He made 123 lifetime starts and earned more than $3 million in winnings. He won 30 races and took a lifetime mark of 1:48, which he accomplished at The Meadowlands.

McIntosh has received some comparisons between Moment Is Here and the gelding's sire.

“He looks like his dad they tell me," said the veteran Windsor, Ont. horseman. "He’s a compact, muscly colt. He always wants to go forward.”

McIntosh is impressed with what he sees in both of his two-year-olds and knows exactly what their strengths are: “Their attitudes. They always want to go forward. They always want to go when they hit the stretch.”

McIntosh is looking to win his first Battle of the Belles with his young filly, Big Big Plans, and feels this could be the time. "Hoping this year! We will see.”

Co-owned by Mardon Stables and co-breeder Dave Boyle, Big Big Plans won her elimination in 1:56.3 last Monday. The youngster only has four starts and found herself in the winner’s circle on three of those occasions. She won back-to-back Ontario Sires Stakes Gold divisions at Woodbine Mohawk Park prior to her Belles elimination and took a mark of 1:53.4.

Moment Is Here won at first asking at Mohawk on June 24 in 1:53.4 for McIntosh and partners Al McIntosh Holdings Inc., Frank Baldachino and Mardon Stables. During his three starts that have followed, he was a Gold runner-up and finished second in his Battle of Waterloo elimination but looks to get the job done this time.

McIntosh has won the Battle of Waterloo once before in 2014 with his homebred Go Daddy Go (Ponder-Sanfrancine).
                                                                      
Big Big Plans drew the fifth post position and McIntosh is confident his filly will get the job done coming out from that spot but he had hoped Moment Is Here would have gotten a bit luckier with his draw; he has post position six but has some talented colts that drew inside of him.  

“I wish he drew more inside but he’s got a big closing kick so he will be okay if there’s early speed and he stays in the flow,” said McIntosh.  

With future plans at Grand River Raceway to change the track to a five-eighths of a mile track, this could be one of the last times the Battle of Waterloo is raced on a half-mile surface. McIntosh said he “can’t wait until they do.” He also believes that there is a need in Ontario for more tracks of this size. “We really need another five-eighths track. I think it would be really great.”

The Battle of Waterloo and the Battle of the Belles will conclude Grand River Raceway’s Industry Day. Post time for the first of 11 races will be at 12:30 p.m. Eastern.

To view Monday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Monday Entries - Grand River Raceway.

(A Trot Insider exclusive by Trey Colbeck)