Trainer Blake MacIntosh said he will decide on Tuesday whether to enter Ontario-sired three-year-old pacing colt Sterling Choice into Saturday’s Somebeachsomewhere Stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

On Monday, two days after Sterling Choice handily won his $90,000 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold test for sophomore pacing colts in a lifetime best 1:50.4, MacIntosh was leaning toward giving the roan pacer the week off and pointing toward the June 7 eliminations for the $1 million Pepsi North America Cup instead.

Either way, the N.A. Cup is the big goal for the son of Betterthancheddar and Platinum Choice. He has been ranked 13th, assessed at odds of 32-1, in TROT Magazine's Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book.

“He jogged well this morning and we're pleased with him,” said MacIntosh. “There's nothing wrong with him. It's just that it would be six starts in a row if he makes the North America Cup final. So, I don't like doing that.”

Sterling Choice reminds MacIntosh of Admirals Express

Fourteen starts and more than $362,000 into his career, Sterling Choice has proven to be a bargain based on his $15,000 yearling purchase price at the 2023 Standardbred Horse Sales Company auction in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

“I know he's got to pick up a little bit more to compete with those top colts, but he always gives you his all and he always seems to be right there for us,” said MacIntosh. “He can leave and get situated where he needs to be to follow other horses and go a big mile. If they leave him alone on front, he's proven that he's good on the front, too. So, he'll do whatever we need to do.”

It’s a bonus that Sterling Choice – one of the rare roan or grey Standardbreds – reminds MacIntosh, in appearance, to beloved Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame horse Admirals Express known as "The Grey Gladiator."

“[Sterling Choice is] not quite as white as Admirals Express, but he has the same body type to him,” said MacIntosh, adding that it makes sense since the two horses are related.

Admirals Express is Sterling Choice’s uncle. The former is a full-brother to Sterling Choice’s dam Platinum Choice, who is also grey.

Sterling Choice, bred by Winbak Farm, is the seventh and most successful of the nine foals out of Platinum Choice. Two of her other foals are also grey: Platinum Rocks and Hurrikaneaphrodite, who earned more than $100,000.

“I like grey horses,” said MacIntosh. “Our other colt, Go Ahead Makemyday [a winner of $164,344], he's grey too. I've always had luck with grey horses. I've always liked the look of them.”

MacIntosh and MacKay a successful team

MacIntosh has also had good luck campaigning horses with the MacKay family.

Sterling Choice is owned by MacIntosh, Gilles Landry of Dieppe, N.B., Ozzie MacKay of Moncton, N.B., and his sister Tammy Lynn MacKay of Truro, N.S. The colt was trained down at two in the Maritimes by the MacKays’ father, Emmons.

“We saw [Sterling Choice] at the sale and we really liked him,” said MacIntosh. “He is a gorgeous animal. We were looking for one for me to break and then send down to Ozzie’s dad, Emmons, to train down as a two-year-old. So, we were looking for a bargain and a nice Ontario-sired colt that he could just do that with. We had no plans of grandeur. We were hoping to get a nice colt like a Grassrooter.

“We bought him and brought him home, broke him and then sent him down to Emmons. Then, he trained him down to 2:20 and we brought him back here and finished him off.”

At two, Sterling Choice had a record of 2-3-3 in 11 starts, earnings of $282,892 and a mark of 1:52.1 taken at Mohawk. He was second to Crack Shot in the $300,000 OSS Super Final, second by a head to Stonebridge Wizard in the $245,500 Battle of Waterloo at Grand River Raceway and had a record of 1-1-2 in four OSS Gold starts.

“Last year, he missed out in a couple of races that he could have won, but he still made $282,000,” noted MacIntosh.

“I'm happy Ozzie and his family get to go on the ride with us. Tammy is pretty excited…  I'm super happy these guys got this horse because they love the business. It's a typical Maritime family that grew up in the business and they just love the horses.”

Of the 40-some two-year-olds MacIntosh is training this year, he said about a dozen are owned, in part, by Ozzie.

“We've had a lot of luck together. We're friends, we're not just partners. We go to hockey games together… We went to game seven [of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ playoff game loss] and got our hearts broken.”

Now the trainer is hoping Sterling Choice can help heal that wound.

(With files from Ontario Racing)