by Ashley Mayotte, WEG communications

Campbellville, ON — Thinking Out Loud rallied from off the pace to take the C$50,000 Dream Maker Stakes Final for 2-year-old pacers on Tuesday night (July 26) at Mohawk Racetrack.

The Bob McIntosh homebred took a new lifetime mark of 1:52.4 in the process with driver Randy Waples in the bike.

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Thinking Out Loud lowered his mark to 1:52.4 in the Dream Maker Final.

Spinarama (Paul MacDonell) was the first to the front with a :27.1 opening panel. The pair held the lead through middle fractions of :56.1 and 1:25.1.

Into the final turn, Stare Down (Mark MacDonald) came first-over from fourth with Thinking Out Loud catching his cover and Speed Again (Jody Jamieson) opting for third-over.

Into the stretch, Thinking Out Loud angled out three-wide. The even-money favorite took the lead in deep stretch to win by a head, over a hard closing Speed Again. Special Blend (Keith Oliver) finished third.

“He (Speed Again) was kind of scaring me a little bit,” said Waples, following the victory. “That little colt of Bob’s, he’s got a lot of heart. He’s a better chaser. As fast as they go he’ll chase, it’s just when he gets out in front he’ll look after himself, but that’s usually the sign of a good horse.”

Waples says the brown pacer wasn’t nearly as aggressive before the final compared to the post parade for last Tuesday’s elimination.

“He’s just a really nice horse,” he said. “He likes his job. Its amazing, a 2-year-old, when he’s had only four starts and he knows exactly what it’s like to be out underneath these lights so he kind of gets revved up, but he was a lot quieter tonight.”

The Ponder colt picked up his third win in four career outings, increasing his bankroll to $49,948 for Robert McIntosh Stables Inc., C S X Stables and Al McIntosh Holdings Inc.

Thinking Out Loud paid $4.10 to win.