11-1 upset in $101,300 OSS Gold opener

MILTON, MAY 29, 2023 – Ghostly Casper (Resolve) opened the 2023 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold season by winning the first of two $101,300 divisions for three-year-old harness racing trotting colts as the road to the $2.4 million Ontario Sires Stakes Super Finals began tonight (May 29) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

He prevailed over 1-9 favourite Hasty Bid in an exciting stretch duel for his first career win. He now has just under $270,000 on his card and a record of 1-6-4 from 15 starts.

“I always had lots of faith in this horse. He’s a really nice horse,” said trainer Ben Baillargeon. “Last year he didn’t win but had some huge miles. This year he didn’t get bigger, but he got more muscular and stronger. He’s just a nice horse.”

James MacDonald took Hasty Bid to the early lead and rated the field through the first half mile in 58.2, and second panel breather of 30.9.

Midway through the third quarter Sylvain Filion moved Ghostly Casper first up and he proved game the rest of the way, closing in 26.4 to stop the clock at 1:54.1. He paid $24.70 for the win.

Baillargeon owns the colt with Teresa Davidson, Santo Vena, and Nunzio Vena. He had two equipment changes prior to the start, a shoeing change and the removal of trotting hopples.

“He’s a much better trotter without (hopples),” said Baillargeon. “I think that’s why he ran last time. When they started to go around the 1:53 range he didn’t have enough room to stretch out. Then last week we trained him here he was great, so going for $100,000 I said nope, let’s go without them.”

Hasty Bid’s second place finish pushed the son of My MVP over $215,000 in earnings and the Paige Austin trainee now has five on the board finishes in six OSS starts. MacDonald and Austin co-own the colt.

Rounding out the podium was Kyle Fellows trainee Dowedealinandwhy. Jody Jamieson piloted the Wheelin N Dealin colt to the third place finish. He’s made over $145,000 from 10 starts, with all of his cheques coming in the OSS.

The second OSS division of the evening was in race six, where Tuscan Prince (Muscle Mass), also rebounding from a break in his prior start prevailed by a length over Osceola.

Dws Point Man with Sylvain Filion driving battled Passarino and Jody Jamieson for the early lead before Filion’s charge went off stride and Passarino led the field through an opening panel of 26.3.

Louis-Phillippe Roy and Tuscan Prince were content to slide into fifth early on after leaving from post two.

“I saw Dws Point Man was leaving pretty hard and I know he’s a really quick little horse,” said Roy.  “So, I didn’t want to engage with him too early and I tried to trip (Tuscan Prince). He ended up having to come first over in the last turn, but I don’t think it was a big effort from him. He was very fresh when I moved him, and he kept trotting to the wire.

Serge Godin’s Determination Stable owns Tuscan Prince and Luc Blais trains the Kadabra gelding. The win was his fourth career in the OSS and fifth overall, good for over $180,000 in earnings from 13 starts. He paid $4.80 for the win.

Doug McNair piloted Osceola to the second place finish. His father Gregg conditions the horse for co-owners Willow Oak Ranch and Paul R Hawman. The colt now has 2 wins and a runner-up in three starts this year, all against stakes company helping push his total earnings over $280,000.

Oh Look Magic edged out What An Angel for third place. Bax Stable, Glengate Farms, and the Cavalier Stable own the Lookslikeachpndale gelding who now has seven on the board finishes in 13 career starts. Chris Christoforou drove.

Also on the card, Robert Ciavardini worked a pocket trip off a contested pace, pounced and then held off a late pursuer to claim victory in the $15,000 Billings Amateur Series Pace.

Leaving from post 5, Ciavardini slid Frownies Miracle (Warrawee Needy) behind leader Arukidinme Cabbie (driven by Daniel St Pierre), who battled with parked Artistic Pick (Gerard Demers) through a :26.3 first quarter. The battle ensued through a :55 half and Demers soon retreated and Artistic Pick played a pick through the final turn. All the while, Frownies Miracle capitalized on the opportunity and circled to the lead before three-quarters in 1:24.3.

With the backfield scrounging back into contention, Frownies Miracle opened a five-length lead into the stretch. Force N Fury (Charles Longo) lunged with fervor down the center of the course to try and collar Frownies Miracle, but Ciavardini built a strong enough cushion to hold the win by a head in a 1:53.4 mile. Nuzzle Loader (Anthony Verruso) closed to finish third, another six lengths behind, with Lets Get Pickled (Matt Zuccarello) fourth.

Kyle Bossence trains and co-owns Frownies Miracle, a 6-year-old gelding, with Dale Betts. Off at 24-1, he paid $50.50 to win.

For complete race results, click here.

by Austin Stanton, for the Ontario Sires Stakes, and Ray Cotolo, for Billings Amateur Series