Woodbine Mohawk Park: Macintosh seeking better results in 2025 North America Cup

As he did in 2018 with the budding superstar Courtly Choice, trainer Blake Macintosh has taken a similar approach to reach the North America Cup with Courtly Choice's son Courts On Fire - race in and win a New York Sire Stakes event and then come to 'The Cup' primed for a peak performance. Courtly Choice, who would later that year give Macintosh major career wins in the Meadowlands Pace and Little Brown Jug, did not reach the North America Cup final in 2018, but Macintosh is back in 2025 with not only Courts On Fire, but another top Ontario-bred in Sterling Choice and is hoping for better results.

"Courtly Choice locked wheels at the head of the stretch in his elimination," Macintosh said, recalling the disappointment that would lead his horse to race in the consolation and dominate instead of the seven-figure final.

Courts On Fire, a son of Courtly Choice bred by Winbak Farm, finished third in last week's Somebeachsomewhere in a solid effort, following a dominating performance in a New York Sire Stakes event at Saratoga on May 25. Raced exclusively on the New York Sire Stakes circuit as a freshman, Courts On Fire was a dominant winner in the final last September, showing high speed at both ends of the mile at a surprising 14-1 mutuel payoff.

"He's a little more like his father in that he's lazy but knows what he has to do on the racetrack," said Macintosh of Courts On Fire, who drew post five in one of three C$50,000 North America Cup eliminations Saturday at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Courts On Fire finds himself between a pair of extremely-talented 3-year-olds with Grand Circuit credentials in the ninth race on the 13-race Woodbine Mohawk Park program.

Courts On Fire will face Louprint, last year's Dan Patch Award winner and Breeders Crown champion, in the last of the three eliminations on the card. Louprint will be making his first start in Canada for trainer Ron Burke, with the son of Sweet Lou already a three-time winner in 2025, all in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes competition. Louprint drew post six in the field of seven.

Prince Hal Hanover gives Dr. Ian Moore another bona fide contender, entering the race in peak condition following a brave front-end victory in a Somebeachsomewhere division over this strip on May 31. The Captaintreacherous-sired colt is out of Breeders Crown champion Percy Bluechip and drew the pole position.

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

Macintosh's penchant for grey horses had him as an active bidder and eventually a buyer when Sterling Choice was sold at Harrisburg in 2023 for just $15,000.

"We like greys," said Macintosh. "He was a very good-looking, solidly-built colt, and he was in the price range we like to purchase in."

While Sterling Choice may not have been noticed before the yearling sale, those who watched him last year in Ontario recognized he stood out in the crowd, not only because of his color but his talent.

Sterling Choice is a son of Betterthancheddar from a full sister to the Ontario legend Admiral's Express, one of the most popular grey horses of all time and a fixture racing in the top class on the WEG circuit from 1999-2009. Admiral's Express won 86 times during a lengthy career that saw him race often and win at an incredible rate.

"I thought if he was one-fifth the horse that Admiral's Express was we'd be fine," said Macintosh, who, following a freshman year that saw Sterling Choice earn C$282K, believes the horse is well on his way towards being much better than original expectations.

A solid second-place effort in the SBOA final on May 17 at Woodbine Mohawk Park had Sterling Choice ripe for a bigger mile on May 24 when he posted a career-best 1:50 4/5 mile in capturing an Ontario Sire Stakes Gold division.

"He's definitely bigger and stronger this year," said Macintosh of Sterling Choice, who drew post two in the seventh race and second North America Cup elimination division.

"He's definitely stepping up in class against this field," said Macintosh, "but I wouldn't have put him in there if I didn't think we had a chance."

Sterling Choice faces a field with plenty of Grand Circuit experience, including Fallout (post seven), a winner in last year's Metro Pace over the same surface.

Trainer Ron Burke will send out Sippinonsearoc, second to stablemate Louprint in last year's Breeders Crown final. The son of Downbytheseaside prepped for the Cup with a 1:49 4/5 effort in a Buckeye Stallion Series event at Eldorado Scioto Downs on May 24. Sippinonsearoc drew post six.

Trainer Nancy Takter has had plenty of success in the North America Cup in the past, winning in back-to-back years of 2019 and 2020 with Captain Crunch and Tall Dark Stranger, respectively. Her lone entry in 2025 is Captain Optimistic, a seven-time winner as a freshman and son of the 2013 North America Cup champion Captaintreacherous. The colt drew post seven in the first C$50,000 elimination carded as race four. Captain Optimistic closed out his freshman campaign with a dominant performance in the Governor's Cup at the Meadowlands and began his sophomore season with a solid placing in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes event at Harrah's Philadelphia on May 25.

Bourbon County (post two) took a nice step forward towards Cup contender with his victory in last week's Somebeachsomewhere for trainer Paul Reid. The Always B Miki-sired colt finished strongly in a career-best 1:50 1/5 mile and seems to be rounding into form at just the right time.

Governor's Cup runner-up Swingtown (post eight) is another talent from the Ron Burke stable that prepped well in Ohio in advance of the North America Cup. Swingtown won six of his 11 starts as a freshman.

Flying under the radar, but not to be discounted, Avanti (post five) is the lone Indiana-sired contender among 23 in this year's North America Cup trials. A son of Rockin Image, Avanti was most recently second in an Indiana Sire Stakes event at Harrah's Hoosier Park.

First post is 6:35 p.m. (EDT) for Saturday's program at Woodbine Mohawk Park that also includes a pair of Fan Hanover Stakes eliminations, with undefeated Ontario champion Chantilly and Dan Patch winner Miki And Minnie landing in separate C$35,000 elimination fields.