Intimidate 3, Little Brown Fox 4 in BC 3YOCT

Trainer and co-owner Luc Blais selected post three for Intimidate for Saturday night's $555,000 Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Colt Trot at Woodbine Racetrack at the post-position draw held Tuesday afternoon at the WEGZ Stadium Bar. Blais earned the right to choose his post after Intimidate won his Crown elimination last Saturday. Little Brown Fox won the second elimination and co-owner Jim Fielding then selected post four for the final.

 

While Intimidate may have been impressive as he rallied from seventh at the three-quarters with a final quarter of :26.3 to win by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:53.1, he will have a new driver in place in Saturday's Crown final. Sylvain Filion, who directed Intimidate, has opted to remain behind Prestidigitator, who finished second to Little Brown Fox in the Crown elim, so Blais has enlisted Ron Pierce. This won't be the first time Pierce sat behind the son of Justice Hall; he directed Intimidate to a second-place finish to Little Brown Fox in the Simcoe on Sept. 1 at Mohawk Racetrack.

 

As for Little Brown Fox, the Muscles Yankee colt is one of two Jimmy Takter trainees in the final, joining Guccio, who drew post seven in the open draw among the other eight entries. While Yannick Gingras will drive Little Brown Fox, Takter will direct Guccio.

 

While Intimidate and Little Brown Fox are listed at morning-line odds of 5-2 and 3-1, respectively, the role of favorite goes to Hambletonian winner Market Share, who is listed at 2-1. The Tim Tetrick-driven Market Share had a two-length lead in midstretch in his Crown elimination but could not fend off the late charge of Intimidate down the stretch.

 

Here is the complete draw for the Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Colt Trot, in post position order and with named driver:

 

1 Mr. Chicago (S. Zeron)

2 Prestidigitator (S. Filion)

3 Intimidate (R. Pierce)

4 Little Brown Fox (Y. Gingras)

5 Another Amaretto (A. Miller)

6 Knows Nothing (J. Jamieson)

7 Guccio (J. Takter)

8 Market Share (T. Tetrick)

9 Stormin Normand (D. Miller)

10 Solvato (T. Smedshammer)(