Regal ready for Crown?

Trainer Bob McIntosh already knows that Ponder is capable of competing against the upper echelon of this year’s older pacing class, and he says he is now ready to find out if Stonebridge Regal, one of last year’s top 3 year olds, will also fit in. The two McIntosh trainees will vie in separate Breeders Crown eliminations this Saturday at the Meadowlands.

Stonebridge Regal, who won 11 times in 21 starts last year but earned his biggest checks via his second-place finish in the $1 million North America Cup and third in the $1 million Meadowlands Pace, has made three starts at Mohawk Racetrack this year after an extended layoff that kept him on the sidelines until late June. Stonebridge Regal has won his last two attempts against conditioned company, the latter win being a 1:49.4 effort that was just one-fifth of a second off his career best.

“We’re about to find out,” McIntosh said Wednesday morning with a big laugh to harnessracing.com via cell phone from his farm in Windsor, Ont., about Stonebridge Regal’s Breeders Crown chances.

“He just had a long year last year and was tired, and a little bit sore here and there,” he added. “Last year he started way back in January and went all the way through. He went a lot of tough miles against the best there was. I gave him a good rest and so far, so good. His last two starts have been impressive, but this is a big jump up. It will tell the tale, I guess.”

Stonebridge Regal finished 2006 with more than $608,000 in career earnings, ranking him fourth in his division. McIntosh shares ownership of the 4-year-old son of Artsplace with Robert Kauffman, Angie Stiller and Skip and Wendy Spring’s W Springtime Stable.

As for Ponder, the 5-year-old son of The Panderosa has four wins in 10 starts this year, and is coming off a second-place finish in the $650,000 William Haughton Memorial Pace at the Meadowlands Saturday, July 15. Ponder was the second-richest older pacer last year with more than $800,000 in earnings, and has already banked nearly $400,000 this year.

“I was very happy with the way Ponder came out of the Haughton,” said McIntosh, who shares ownership with CSX Stable and John Fielding. “It’s hot (in New Jersey) but he’s held his weight good. He was a winner last week right past the wire.”

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