Fresh off a milestone in which he made harness racing history, Hall of Famer Bob McIntosh is hoping his faith in one of his former pupils will pay off dividends this Sunday night.
It was on August 11, 2013 in a Kentucky Sire Stakes win with Somethinincredible that McIntosh became the first trainer in harness racing to surpass $90 million in career purses. Three weeks after than milestone win, McIntosh sends out two of his homebreds, Somethinincredible and stablemate On Golden Ponder, in an attempt to do what their sire Ponder's second leading money earner -- Thinking Out Loud -- could not accomplish and that’s capture a Kentucky Sire Stakes final.
“I bought Ponder as a yearling and raced him,” McIntosh said. “His offspring sure have been awful good to us.”
Of course the LaSalle, Ontario, resident was referring to another horse he bred, the aforementioned four-year-old from the stallion’s second crop, Thinking Out Loud. Out of the Camluck mare Los Angeles, he has earned just under $1.4 million, captured the $213,650 U.S. Pacing Championship at the Meadowlands on Aug. 3 in his last race, and finished second to world champion Bolt The Duer, also by the same sire and his leading money winner, in last year’s $250,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes final for three-year-old pacing colts.
From 180 registered foals, Ponder has 120 starters that have earned just over $7 million. Bolt The Duer is his top performer as far as cash accumulated with more than $1.6 million, while Thinking Out Loud has the fastest record of 1:47.2. The stallions are one-two for their sire in both categories.
McIntosh will send his two-year-old colt On Golden Ponder and his two-year-old filly Somethinincredible to the gate for their respective Kentucky Sire Stakes finals for their age, gait and gender on Sunday (Sept. 1) at The Red Mile. Both youngsters captured the first and second legs of their series competitions on Aug. 11 and 22.
“The filly was always good-looking and she showed promise from Day One,” he said. “With the colt, I was high on him, too, but it wasn’t until over the winter. He’s a little smaller than she is, as she is a big filly and still growing, but he’s great gaited and doesn’t wear boots. His mother (In Trepid Water) wasn’t a big filly either, but she was a good mare that made close to $500,000.”
On Golden Ponder is out of the Intrepid Seelster mare In Trepid Water, while Somethinincredible is out of another Intrepid Seelster mare Breathdefying. Both horses are owned by McIntosh and C S X Stables, while the additional partner for the colt is Michael Kohler and for the filly Dave Boyle.
To date, On Golden Ponder has four race miles under his belt with a record of 3-0-0, earnings of $32,134 and a mark of 1:54.2 taken in his last start in Lexington. Somethinincredible sports a slate of 5-3-1-0, has banked $36,825 and took her career mark of 1:56.1 on Aug. 11 over the famed red clay oval.
“I just trained both of them (Wednesday) morning (Aug. 28) and they trained real sharp,” McIntosh said. “They are coming into their respective races as good as they can be as far as being healthy and sound. That’s all you can ask for. Well, that and some luck.”
Somethinincredibile won her debut on July 10, in a $5,890 non-winners race at Grand River Raceway, then finished eighth but was placed ninth in a similar contest at the same facility on July 24. The filly bounced back with a second on Aug. 1 at Mohawk Racetrack in a $15,520 non-winners contest and then triumphed in both her starts in Lexington.
Fourth in his first mile on July 20 in a $3,880 non-winners contest at Hiawatha Horse Park in Sarnia, On Golden Ponder has been photographed in his next three starts, including a $3,648 non-winners race at Sarnia on Aug. 3 and both his engagements in Lexington.
“’They are both pretty versatile,” McIntosh said. “The filly has been on top, but she’s excellent from off the pace, too. The colt will do whatever you want him to.”
After both youngsters complete their work in Lexington the season begins to pick up momentum for them.
“I have always thought this filly might be something special,” McIntosh said. “She is pretty deep with high speed that she can carry. With the colt, I think he has a big move to him. Both of them are staked to pretty much everything for the rest of the season. My plan for them was to not race them much until the Kentucky Sire Stakes and this is now my jumping off point with them.”
(with files from USTA)