Bingo Night overcame post position 10, and her driver Tyler Jones withstood a seven-minute inquiry as the pair powered to a 1 3/4 length victory in the C$300,000 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold Super Final for 2-year-old trotting fillies on Friday (Oct. 10) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Meeting four-time Gold event winner Flowing Tribute, who was hammered down to 1-5 on Friday, Bingo Night had handed the favorite her only loss in an Aug. 4 Gold event, but the Dustin Jones-trained filly had been plagued by tough trips through most of the summer.
Bingo Night came into the Gold Final off solid efforts, finishing second in the Peaceful Way and Champlain Stakes and a third in a Sept. 29 Gold event.
Trainer Jones made a couple of adjustments in Bingo Night's equipment before the Super Final.
"About two weeks ago I trained her in the bike at the farm, and I didn't really like the way she trained - she was sort of watching me," Dustin said. "I didn't really want to make a change but after last week's race I thought she was hanging a bit, so I put side rolls on her and took the cones out of her hood so she would be a bit more on the bit."
After brisk pre-race scoring, Bingo Night, sent off at 6-1, was sharp off the gate, tracking Barbara May and driver Trevor Henry from the two path before grabbing the lead into the backstretch. After an opening quarter in 27 seconds, driver Bob McClure let Flowing Tribute roll to the leadm so Bingo Night and Jones sat snugly in second. Flowing Tribute reached the half-mile mark in 55 2/5 and three-quarters in 1:24 3/5, but into the stretch Bingo Night tipped out and reeled in the favorite.
The winner stopped the teletimer in 1:53 4/5, equaling her lifetime-best and the fastest for the division in OSS history, both of which she set in her Gold win in August. Longshots Cupid Hall, at 17-1, and Very Sassy, a 53-1 chance, finished second and third, respectively, while Flowing Tribute faded to ninth.
Bingo Night is by the hot, young stallion Green Manalishi S and is the first foal from the mare Cant Stop Tommi.
This was the first Gold Super Final victory for Tyler Jones, who was full of praise for Bingo Night.
"She took me out of a pickle again, leaving from the 10-hole, that’s unbelievable," Tyler said. "The trip worked out great. Trevor cleared Bob...I just got the edge like that and let Bob come around, and it was just a picture-perfect drive like the last time I beat Flowing Tribute. That's what I needed to beat her tonight."
► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter
There was a judges' inquiry following the race into a possible urging violation when Jones put the lines in one hand and swung the whip, but the result stood.
"Going by Bob he said, 'Nice win,' and I thought I had it wrapped up, so I gave it a little (celebration), and that was a terrible idea," Tyler admitted.
Dustin Jones co-owns and co-bred Bingo Night with partners Jocelyn and Marie Hebert's Hebert Horses and Matts Sjoblom.
"This filly is very good-gaited," said the trainer. "She's not very big but she looks big on the track."
Jones suggested that Bingo Night, who has a record of 10-5-3-2 and earnings of C$410,769, could be given a chance to compete in the Breeders Crown at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Eliminations are next weekend, with the 2-year-old finals on Oct. 24.
"She’s eligible and seeing that she won and it's in our backyard, we might give her a go," Dustin said.
Strobe Lite entered Friday's (Oct. 10) Super Final for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings as the divisional points leader. He finished the eighth race at Woodbine Mohawk Park as divisional champion after storming down the centre of the lane to win by 1 1/4 lengths in a time of 1:55 2/5. James MacDonald steered the winner for trainer and co-owner Benoit Baillargeon.
"It's amazing," MacDonald told Woodbine's John Rallis after the race. "This is the best program in the world, I think. This is the goal, right here, from the time we're qualifying in June. All those mornings are to end up here in the winner's circle on Super Final night."
Sent off as the favorite, MacDonald and Strobe Lite floated out from post seven and settled in fifth early as Another Great Mass and Trevor Henry moved to the lead early with Crunchintheodds, Mike Me Up and Touchedbyanangel in tow. On the way to a 28 second opening panel, Doug McNair moved Touchedbyanangel from fourth and brushed to the point, clicking off a 58 second half.
"I liked where I got away and then when Trevor made front; I thought it could set up good for me, but Doug was able to re-move and get things his own way. My horse had to earn it tonight," MacDonald said.
Mike Me Up was the next to move on the backside, bringing Strobe Lite with him. Unfortunately, MacDonald's cover stalled midway through the second turn, forcing the driver to flip three-wide as the field reached three quarters in 1:26 2/5.
"Honestly, I was thinking that Doug drove a perfect race and then he kind of had me in a bad spot, but I was really confident in my horse," the driver said. "I thought I had the best horse in the race, as long as I didn't get him beat. I just tried to take what the race gave me."
On the front, Another Great Mass pulled from the pocket and forged to the lead. But Strobe Lite hit another gear and began his charge to the wire through heavy showers, kicking clear in deep stretch to secure his third seasonal win. Another Great Mass held on for second followed by Crunchintheodds and Trouble With Names, who broke stride at the start before recovering for fourth.
Strobe Lite returned to the winner's circle after a disappointing break in the Mohawk Million followed by a head defeat in the final leg of the OSS Gold. He has hit the board in nine of 11 seasonal starts, banking C$479,921 with the night's victory. He returned $3.20-$2.40-$2.10 in victory.
Sired by Alarm Detector and out of the Father Patrick mare Shine Bright, Strobe Light sold for C$16,000 at the London Classic Yearling Sale. He is owned by Baillargeon in partnership with Claude Hamel, Nunzio Vena and Glengate Farms, who bred the gelding. Baillargeon conditioned Alarm Detector during his career.
"I'm very happy that Alarm Detector finally got one that got the job done," the trainer said. "There were a few close calls with a few of them. He's out of a good mare, Father Patrick mare and we've always had lots of faith in that colt. He's big, he's strong. He can do it."
Glengate Farms' Jim Bullock was on hand for Strobe Lite's triumph, complimenting the efforts of the freshman's conditioner.
"He's a very nice colt and Ben has done a wonderful job with him, right from Day One," Bullock said. "Ben was telling me last spring that this is a good colt. This is a really good colt and he's proved it again tonight. We've had our ups and downs a little bit. He ran on us in the Mohawk Million, but that's horse racing. If you don't want horses to run, don't buy trotters."
He also spoke of the strength of the provincial program.
"I think the OSS program is second to none and I think we've just sold a lot of Alarm Detectors next week at the London sale. Unfortunately, I don’t have any," said Bullock.
--press release (Ontario Sires Stakes)--