Strobe Lite entered Friday’s (Oct. 10) $300,000 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold Super Final for freshman trotting colts 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 ¼ lengths in a time of 1:55.2. 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 favourite, 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 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 and 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.
“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 $479,921 with the night’s victory. He returned $3.20-$2.40-$2.10 in victory.
Sired by Alarm Detector out of the Father Patrick mare Shine Bright, Strobe Light sold for $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 1,” 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.