by Rich Fisher, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Rich Fisher

Trenton, NJ — Forget about holiday protocol, Bob McIntosh is jumping right over Halloween and American Thanksgiving.

“It will be a little bit of Christmas if we get the right trip,” said McIntosh, referring to his horse L A Delight in Saturday’s (Oct. 29) $500,000 Breeders Crown for 3-year-old female pacers at the Meadowlands.

McIntosh is the trainer and co-owner and co-breeder, along with C S X Stables and Al McIntosh Holdings Inc. He is once again teamed up with driver John Campbell, as the two have won five Breeders Crowns together.

“John and I have been together for, I don’t know how many years, 30 years or more I guess,” McIntosh said. “I’ve got confidence in John and I’ve got confidence in the filly.”

Their most recent win came with Thinking Out Loud, another McIntosh homebred, in 2014. Their first successes came in 1992 with Artsplace and So Fresh. They won with Immortality the following year, and took first with Western Shooter in 2001.

And while McIntosh feels every win is special, two Breeders Crown triumphs that jump out to him did not involve Campbell as the driver. One was his first Crown win with Sunset Warrior in 1986, who was a longshot going in. The other came in 1997 with Artiscape, who was co-owned by Brian Monieson and George Segal’s Brittany Farms. Monieson had cancer that year and it was the last time he got to see Artiscape race, as he passed away a short time later.

“That brought a tear to my eye when I saw Brian in the winner’s circle,” McIntosh said. “It was karma. Good things happen to good people. Brian was a great owner and a great guy.”

McIntosh would love nothing more than to create another great moment and feels he has a horse capable of doing so. L A Delight, by Bettor’s Delight out of the Western Hanover mare West of L A, has won nine races and $540,276 this season, hitting the board in 13 of 16 starts. She has earned $1,073,403 in her short career.

“She’s had a great season,” the trainer said.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Trainer Bob McIntosh and driver John Campbell won the Jugette in September with L A Delight.

Campbell drove her to the win in the Jugette at Delaware on Sept. 21, which McIntosh felt, “was the ultimate.”

“She’s in against those top fillies and beat them,” he said. “Any time you win one of those big races, it’s always great.”

He also felt it was “pretty sweet” that she went undefeated in the Ontario Sires Stakes.

In her Breeders Crown elimination last weekend she got away last but managed to rally to a second-place finish despite some fatigue.

“I think she raced as good as she could in the elimination, she got a nice trip,” McIntosh said. “She spent 15 hours on a truck going down there, but that’s the way it goes. I think she’ll even be better this week.”

L A Delight drew the eight hole, which doesn’t have the trainer too thrilled. But with the Breeders Crown’s all-time winningest driver in the bike he doesn’t discount the McIntosh-Campbell magic being conjured once more.

“We didn’t draw where I wanted to, we’ve got some good fillies on the inside of us, but I’ll leave it up to John to figure out the trip,” McIntosh said. “John is Mr. Dependable. The more there is in the purse the better he drives. With big money he’s a great driver. He’s one of the best big money drivers.

“If the trip comes up favorable I think we can get the job done with a little luck — a lot of luck. I have great respect for the other fillies too. She’ll figure it out, I guess. But who knows? If she finishes in the top three I’ll be happy.”

McIntosh said his horse is very laid back, unassuming and easy on herself. But that changes once she is on the track.

“I trained her down as a 2-year-old, by then I had two or three better than her,” he said. “Then she got behind the starting gate, she showed she’s a warrior and wanted to win. She has a big time desire to win.

“She’s just perfect. No lameness issues, no nothing. I would say she makes us all look smart. Some of them are a little tougher to get where you want them, but she’s been just picture perfect.”

McIntosh enters the race second to Jimmy Takter in Breeders Crown wins and wouldn’t mind getting closer.

“I was leading for a long time, but he got me,” McIntosh said with a laugh. “But I’ll settle for one more — this year, anyway.”

Should it happen, feel free to stop by the McIntosh stable for a celebratory eggnog.

For Friday’s complete Meadowlands/Breeders Crown card, click here.

For Saturday’s complete Meadowlands/Breeders Crown card, click here.

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