Hall of Fame trainer Bob McIntosh has said that one of his standout juveniles is done for the season
.
I Found My Beach will be noticeably absent from the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Finals on Saturday night (November 12) at Woodbine Racetrack.
McIntosh explained to the Woodbine Entertainment Group's publicity arm that it was a disappointing moment for him when he found out that the juvenile gelding, who finished third in the OSS divisional standings, was done for '11 just one start shy of his biggest race to date.
McIntosh explained to WEG that the homebred son of Mach Three--Ohio Annie crossfired while on the track at the farm and made a break. The gelding paced well afterwards, but McIntosh explained that I Found My Beach was off on his front foot by the time he got back to the barn. The four-time O’Brien Award winning conditioner had hoped his charge just suffered a bruise.
“He did it once before earlier in the year and he came out of it fine,” McIntosh recalled. “When he didn’t get better in three or four days I had the vet over to x-ray it, and it showed a hairline crack in the coffin bone.”
It’s an injury that requires time to heal.
McIntosh, who owns a piece of the gelding with Robert Kauffman and Pat Ryan, said it was unfortunate timing, but since the Super Final was going to be I Found My Beach’s last start of the season, the veteran trainer knew the best thing was to start the gelding’s winter layoff early and give him some well earned rest.
“I was very disappointed,” he said. “He would have had a real shot at being first or second, I think. Carl Jamieson’s horse (Warrawee Needy) is awful good, but I would have liked to have a chance to race against him again. But, there is nothing you can do about it. It is part of the business.”
McIntosh went on to state that, “The good news is that he should be back in good shape for next year,” and that, “I always thought he would be a good horse, but he really turned into something special.”
The Windsor, Ont. resident still has a chance to take home a Super Final trophy with Class Of O Nine. She is a two-year-old pacing filly that finished atop of her divisional standings in both earnings and OSS points.
He’s hoping the hard-luck filly can get back on the winning track.
“After her last start, she was off form,” McIntosh noted. “We scoped her and she had a touch of mucus and blood mixed in with it. I trained her on lasix and I was very pleased with her. She qualified on lasix (on November 3) and Randy (driver Randy Waples) said that was the strongest she’s ever felt at the wire.”
The homebred daughter of Camluck--Skippin School has four wins and two second-place finishes in 11 lifetime starts and $211,000 in career earnings for McIntosh, who also co-owns the filly with Dwight Stacey.
Waples and Class Of O Nine will leave from Post 8 in her $300,000 Super Final, which is slated for the fourth race on November 12.
“I feel pretty confident with her, actually -- cautiously optimistic that we have a pretty good shot," McIntosh said. "There are some nice fillies in there, but nobody I’d trade places with.”
To view entries for Saturday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Saturday Entries - Woodbine Racetrack.
For free program pages courtesy of TrackIT, click here.
(With files from WEG)