“He’s fun to be around and pretty to look at.”
Harness driver John Campbell wasn’t referring to his long time friend and fellow Hall of Famer Bob McIntosh, but rather the Windsor, Ontario, trainer’s rookie pacing colt Go Daddy Go who earlier today drew post five in the $500,000 Breeders Crown final Saturday at the Meadowlands.
A striking chestnut, Go Daddy Go captured his Breeders Crown elimination with an impressive performance last Saturday night and Campbell and McIntosh both hope he brings his A game this weekend.
“I think he’ll race well, he just doesn’t put in bad races. He’s just a real solid colt and he goes his race every time. He’s better chasing horses down and he’s in the middle of the pack (with post five), I think that’s going to be a good opportunity for us as well," noted Campbell who has driven the Ontario-sired colt in the majority of his starts this year.
"I think (the Breeders Crown) is totally wide open, there is no 1-5 shot in here. I really like my horse," added McIntosh of the homebred colt he shares ownership of with Dave Boyle of Bowmanville, Ontario.
Unlike some horsemen, McIntosh doesn’t shy away from a red haired horse. "I've never been one who held a prejudice against a chestnut, maybe because going back 30 years ago I had Omaha Girl (a winner of more than $362,000). There's been a few since including Dapper Dude who's made $750,000.”
Go Daddy Go is a son of Ponder, a horse McIntosh raced to earnings of $1.6 million before he was retired to stud. Ponder stood for two years at Seelster Farms in Lucan, Ontario, and Go Daddy Go is a result of his first Ontario crop, born in 2012. The winner of this year’s Battle of Waterloo final at Grand River Raceway, which is for Ontario-sired two-year-old colts, Go Daddy Go has earned $373,000 from 13 starts this year.
Campbell also drove Ponder on several occasions during his racing career (including in the Breeders Crown) and in addition to driving Go Daddy Go, he’ll also be up behind another son of Ponder from the McIntosh barn, Thinking Out Loud, in the $400,000 Open Pace Breeders Crown final.
“He’s got to step it up and race to his potential. We’ve changed him around, his bridle, we tinkered with that last week and he actually finished the last eighth of the mile really strong. We’re going to continue to change a couple of things,” Campbell noted.
“In Chicago he raced extremely well winning the American National, he showed he’s capable of beating these horses. If he’s at his best I think he can win Saturday night.”
Campbell and McIntosh, who both began their careers in South-Western Ontario, have shown numerous times they know how to win a Breeders Crown final. Campbell is the leading driver in the history of the championship races with more than $21 million in Breeders Crown purses earned while McIntosh sits second among trainers with over $6 million to date.
Go Daddy Go is one of 13 Ontario-sired horses competing in the Breeders Crown finals.
Race 7 - $500,000 Two-Year-Old Colt Pace
Post - Horse - Morning Line
1. Cooperstown - 20-1
2. Traceur Hanover - 7-2
3. Lyons Levi Lewis - 8-1
4. Franzo - 20-1
5. Go Daddy Go - 5-2
6. Sicily - 20-1
7. Tomy Terror - 8-1
8. Soto - 30-1
9. Lost For Words - 9-2
10. In The Arsenal - 4-1
(OSS)