He hasn’t raced since November and his last win goes back 17 months, but don’t count out Intimidate.

Trainer Luc Blais reports that the millionaire trotter, now seven years old, is in good health and spirits and if all goes according to plan, will return to action around July.

“I’ll play it by ear. When he tells me it’s time, I’ll race him. It’s just light training so far, but I’m very happy with how he looks. I’m optimistic,” Blais said.

He called 2015 “a year to forget” for the Justice Hall gelding, an O’Brien Award champion in both 2014 and 2012. Intimidate lacked his usual late kick and failed to win any of his 14 starts last year for Quebec owners Judy Farrow of Hemmingford and Ecurie Determination of Westmount. A fifth-place finish in the $689,000 Breeders’ Crown final was the best paycheque of his $84,149 year.

The previous year, he’d captured both the $500,000 TVG final at The Meadowlands and the $603,000 Maple Leaf Trot at Mohawk (over Sebastian K). In 2012, he bested Market Share in the $546,987 Breeders’ Crown final for three-year-olds at Woodbine.

“We're going to manage him differently this year,” said Blais. "He’s only staked for the Maple Leaf Trot and Breeders Crown, which come later in the year. Last year, it seems there was always one small problem or another, and when you race at that level, nothing can be amiss.”

Intimidate has 26 career victories and $1.3 million in earnings.

(A Trot Insider Exclusive by Paul Delean)