Bingo Night overcame post position 10 and her driver Tyler Jones withstood a seven minute inquiry as the pair powered to a 1 ¾ length victory in the $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 favourite 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 Gold 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 to 1, was sharp off the gate, tracking Barbara May and driver Trevor Henry from the two path before grabbing the lead into the backstretch. But after an opening quarter in 27, driver Bob McClure let Flowing Tribute roll to the lead so Bingo Night and Jones sat snugly in second. Flowing Tribute reached the half mile mark in 55.2 and three quarters in 1:24.3 but into the stretch, Bingo Night tipped out and reeled in the favourite.
The winner stopped the teletimer in 1:53.4, equalling her lifetime best and the fastest for the division in OSS history, both of which she set in her Gold win in August.
Bingo Night is by the hot, young stallion Green Manalishi S and is the first foal from the mare Cant Stop Tommi.
Longshots Cupid Hall, at 17 to 1, and Very Sassy, a 53 to 1 chance, finished second and third respectively while Flowing Tribute faded to ninth.
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.”
There was a judges’ inquiry following the race into a possible urging violation when Jones put the reins 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 celly and that was a terrible idea.”
Dustin Jones co-owns and co-bred Bingo Night with partners Jocelyn and Marie Hebert’s Hebert Horses of Montreal, QC and Matts Sjoblom of Finland.
“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 $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.”