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Sunday, October 28, 2012

Intimidate Crushes Crown Rivals in Three-Year-Old Colt Trot

TORONTO, October 27 – The supplemented Intimidate used his late closing kick to capture the $555,000 Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Colt Trot on Saturday night at Woodbine.

Elimination winner Intimidate and driver Ron Pierce got away seventh behind Knows Nothing (Jody Jamieson), who marched past the first-quarter in 27-seconds. 

Hambletonian and Canadian Trotting Classic winner Market Share (Tim Tetrick) was parked out and taken to the front into the backstretch.  Before the half in :55.2, the other elimination winner Little Brown Fox (Yannick Gingras) was on the attack.  He clocked three-quarters in 1:24.4.

Favoured Intimidate vaulted off third-over cover into the stretch, unleashing a :27.1 final frame en route to scoring his fifth straight victory.  The gelding stopped the clock in a lifetime mark of 1:52.4.  Little Brown Fox was beaten three and a quarter lengths for second while Market Share faded to third.

“I never even pulled the earplugs and I just chirped at him a couple times,” said Pierce. “He did it all on his own. A monkey could’ve won with this horse.”

The homebred son of Justice Hall-Fabulous Tag has lifted his 2012 record to 13-3-0 from 17 starts. The 14-time career winner increased his lifetime earnings to $418,590 for trainer Luc Blais, who also shares ownership with Judith Farrow.

Intimidate returned $5, $3 and $2.40, combining with Little Brown Fox ($3.60, $2.40) for a $17.30 (3-4) exactor.  A 3-4-8 (Market Share, $2.50 to show) triactor was worth $31.80, while a $1 superfecta [3-4-8-2 (Prestidigitator)] paid $87.85.