Intimidate To Credit Winner

Fresh off two come-from-behind wins at Mohawk, four-year-old trotter Intimidate will make his U.S. debut Friday night at Vernon Downs in the $214,000 Credit Winner Trot.

There, he’ll be reunited with Ron Pierce, who drove him to victory in the 2012 Breeders’ Crown final for three-year-old trotters. They’ve drawn post seven in a quality field of eight that includes Market Share, My MVP and Wishing Stone, Arch Madness, Sevruga, Guccio and Mister Herbie.

“I think it’s a fabulous post position, especially for the way he goes,” said co-owner Judy Farrow of Hemmingford, Que. “You’ve got the speed inside and the closers outside. It should be a fabulous race. It’ll be up to the drivers and how good the horses are that day.”

Farrow and trainer Luc Blais had fretted their Quebec-bred gelding might not make the cut for the Credit Winner, since it was limited to the top 10 earners and he ranked only 22nd of the 33 nominees with career earnings of $453,590. But in the end, he made the grade, and Farrow will be making the trip to New York to urge him on. “It’s going to be wonderful,” she said.

Intimidate faces his biggest test of the season after two impressive outings at Mohawk. The Justice Hall gelding started his campaign in Quebec and won his first two starts before making a break on June 2 at Hippodrome 3R and sustaining a minor foot injury. Trainer and co-owner Luc Blais put the trotting hopples back on for his first two qualifiers and then tested Intimidate at Mohawk. The trotter responded with back-to-back wins, each one a lifetime best, with the most recent a 1:52 win on August 27 against fellow 2012 O'Brien Award winner Mister Herbie.

The field for the $214,000 Credit Winner lines up as follows:

2013 Credit Winner (with listed driver)

1. Arch Madness (TBA)
2. My MVP (Corey Callahan)
3. Market Share (T. Tetrick)
4. Sevruga (A. Miller)
5. Wishing Stone (Y. Gingras)
6. Guccio (J. Takter)
7. Intimidate (R. Pierce)
8. Mister Herbie (J. Jamieson)

Also on the Friday night card at Vernon Downs is the $202,000 Muscle Hill Trot for older mares. Fresh off her 1:51.4 world record performance on Saturday at Mohegan Sun Pocono, Beatgoeson Hanover will look to defend her Muscle Hill title against a top-notch group of nine trotting mares including a pair of powerhouses from the Jonas Czernyson barn: divisional powerhouse Maven and Ima Lula winner Dorsay.

2013 Muscle Hill (with listed driver)

1. Beatgoeson Hanover (D. Miller)
2. Intense America (T. Tetrick)
3. Pembroke Heat Wave (B. Sears)
4. Cedar Dove (R. Pierce)
5. Real Babe (T. Tetrick)
6. Maven (Y. Gingras)
7. Personal Style (A. Miller)
8. Bax Of Life (J. Campbell)
9. Dorsay (C. Callahan)
10. Check Me Out (T. Tetrick)

Post time is 6:45 on Friday, to view the full card of entries click the following link: Friday Entries - Vernon Downs.

(A Trot Insider Exclusive by Paul Delean)