Looking for a cool sweep

He's been perfect in four starts this season, and on Friday evening at Woodbine Cam Cool will be looking for a sweep of the Apaches Fame Pacing Series for 3-year-old colts and geldings.

Bred by owners Bob McIntosh, CSX Stables and Al McIntosh, the Camluck gelding notched a 1½-length victory in 1:53.4 in the opening leg and tallied a head win in 1:56.1 in the second round.

Pilot Randy Waples has been driving the five-time career winner for trainer Bob McIntosh, and the duo have drawn post two (wearing head number three) in the $50,200 Apaches Fame finale, carded as the seventh race (9:40 p.m.) on the 11-race docket.

"He was a great looking yearling last year. I bought his mother (Artsplace mare L'artesienne) at a sale and then bred and raised him," McIntosh said of Cam Cool, who also has an older full sister currently racing. "She (L'artesienne) had a bit of a tie-up problem when she raced. He's her second foal. The first one was Cameron D Art, who took her mark in 1:52.1 (at age three)."

Cam Cool won his 2-year-old debut, but missed the board in his next three starts as a freshman.

"In the fall (of 2006), he was a great looking individual, but he started to get a little pinchy--colt-sore all over--and was growing," said McIntosh. "His attitude was also a little suspect, so he was gelded and turned out. He hasn't had a bad training day since he's come back."

The career earner of $26,562(C) has been sent off as the chalk in all of his starts this year, and is the prohibitive favorite for the 10-horse final.

"He's a laid-back colt, which will probably serve him well in the end. He doesn't get too excited and just takes care of himself. Randy said that the other day when he got the top, he was just looking around and taking it easy. But he can come from behind or on the front, it doesn't matter, he's very versatile," McIntosh explained. "Around here when he's away from the track he just eats and sleeps. Most of my good ones have been like that. They don't tend to stress themselves out too much."

At the beginning of a campaign, it's always presumptuous to imagine what level a 3-year-old may be racing at later in the season, but McIntosh isn't looking too far down the road just yet. The veteran horseman is enjoying Cam Cool's current progress, and has made some stakes payments in case the bay continues to round into form.

"It's hard not to be happy with where he's at right now. He's done everything that we've asked of him so far. He's staked up pretty well. Time will tell whether he belongs with the top colts or not, but he is paid up to the North America Cup, Little Brown Jug and quite a few things."

The Apaches Fame was open to Ontario-sired, non-winners of $30,000 in lifetime earnings as of Oct. 31, 2006. (WEG)

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