"It cost me about three lengths and he got beat half a length. I take nothing away from the rest of the horses, they all raced great. I'm not trying to be a whiner or anything like that, but it would have been nice to have a clear shot at them and pick my post next week."

Despite encountering traffic troubles in the stretch in their Meadowlands Pace elimination last weekend, Randy Waples and North America Cup champion Thinking Out Loud finished second, just a half-length behind Heston Blue Chip in their 1:49 mile, earning a place in this Saturday's $600,000 final at Meadowlands Racetrack.

“A couple of horses veered out [in the stretch],” explained Waples. “It had nothing to do with Thinking Out Loud; he drove a straight line. My wheel got hooked, so I had to back off and unhook the wheel, move him out to the middle of the track and get him going again. You get beat half a length with all of that, I’m pretty sure he would’ve gotten there."

Hoping for a smoother ride this time out, the duo will leave from post seven. Thinking Out Loud, trained by Hall of Famer Bob McIntosh, will try to become the ninth pacer in history to win both the North America Cup and Meadowlands Pace. The most recent was Well Said in 2009.

“To win the Meadowlands Pace would be unbelievable,” said first-time Pace starter Waples, who will attempt to mirror his father Ron Waples' accomplishment of winning it in his first try. “I’ve watched these races since I was a little kid. I grew up in this business and I was around the horses from day one. I remember my father winning [the 1983 Meadowlands Pace] with Ralph Hanover and he won the North America Cup with Presidential Ball [in 1993]. I wasn’t here for Ralph Hanover, but I was at Greenwood [Raceway] for Presidential Ball.

“These are special races. They just don’t get any bigger than these races. Last year I finished second in the Hambletonian and this year I won the North America Cup and I’m getting to race in the Meadowlands Pace. I think that’s more what it is with me: Being able to race in these kinds of races. It’s always great to win them, but you’ve got to go into them with a clear head and realize there are nine other guys trying to beat you.”

The resident of Milton, Ont., who will turn 47 on July 31, is no stranger to the big stage. He was the regular driver of 2011 Horse of the Year San Pail and is a three-time winner of Canada’s Driver of the Year Award (1998, 2001 and 2010).

Thinking Out Loud has won seven of 11 career starts and never been off the board, earning $874,250 for Robert McIntosh Stables, CSX Stables and Al McIntosh Holdings.

In the $1.5 million North America Cup, the lightly raced Ontario-bred son of Ponder stormed home to an 8-1 upset in 1:47.4, equalling the Canadian record set by Sweet Lou in his Cup elimination the week before. The win gave Waples and McIntosh their first North America Cup triumph.

Waples has driven Thinking Out Loud in all but one of his career starts. Last season, the colt was limited to four races – winning three – because of a bone bruise.

“He was very special last year,” Waples said. “He stepped on a stone and got a bruise on his foot and they couldn’t clear it up, so Bob did the right thing and shut him right down. It did the horse a world of good. He was never stressed last year. He came back really strong and is just a really nice animal.”

Waples knows Thinking Out Loud faces a tough task in the Meadowlands Pace, where he will meet up again with six horses from the North America Cup, including runner-up Time To Roll, world champion Sweet Lou, Hempt Memorial winner A Rocknroll Dance and Art Rooney Pace champ Pet Rock.

“This year, it seems like they’re all pretty level,” Waples said. “Sweet Lou is probably the horse to beat. A Rocknroll Dance, Heston Blue Chip raced great [Saturday]. They’re all there to beat you. But I think I’ve got a pretty good one.

“He has all the qualities of a really nice horse. He tries really hard, he’s really good gaited; he just puts his head down and digs. His best quality is that he comes out of a phenomenal stable. I’m pretty lucky to get to race in these kinds of races with a nice horse.”

One of Thinking Out Loud's best qualities though, has yet to be tested this year. His "vicious" early speed is something Waples is keeping under wraps for the time being.

"He's got weapons people maybe don't know about yet and I hope I don't have to show them this early in the year," said Waples. "He can go from zero to 90 in about one step. He can absolutely outright fly [off the gate], but he gave us the impression last year that he might have gotten a little hot if we had done that so we started racing him from off the pace and he's raced great; he's won most of his starts from off the pace. But he's got a vicious, vicious kick. That would be the only thing I haven't tested out yet. I've never left real hard with him to see if that kick is still there, but he's a really hard trying horse so it wouldn't suprise me."

(With files from HRC & Meadowlands Racetrack)