Naughty Delight came from well off the pace and passed four horses in the stretch to post a 7-1 upset in the lone $140,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Leg 4 event for 2-year-old pacing fillies on Friday (Aug. 29) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Sitting last in the field of six until just before the three-quarter pole, Naughty Delight (James MacDonald) was fifth at the top of the stretch and came home in :26.3 to win by a half-length over Jen Tilly (Louis-Philippe Roy) in a career-best 1:51.2.
It was the first career Gold triumph for the daughter of Bettors Delight out of Pleasant Yet Bad and it came at the expense of three-time Gold Series champ A Clean Deal, who finished third, followed by Pownal Bay Bobbi (Jody Jamieson) and TH Check Me Out (Tyler Borth).
“I told a few of my buddies after her first qualifier that I thought [Naughty Delight] was the best one I went with,” MacDonald told Woodbine broadcaster John Rallis. “She was getting really steppy and making breaks early, and [trainer] Tony [Beaton’s] done an unbelievable job, because early in the year, I was like, ‘Is this going to be an all-year thing, where I can’t really drive her?’ and I had to race her off the pace a lot early. But it’s paying off late, because she’s got a big-time closing kick, and she loves to go by horses, obviously.
“She just gets a little better each time. She was not perfect, but you know, we’re in the winner’s circle of the Gold, so we can’t complain too much.”
Naughty Delight paid $16.10 for the win.
Naughty Delight now has a record of 2-1-2 in five starts and earnings of $126,678.
Bred by Winbak Farm, Naughty Delight was purchased for $40,000 U.S. at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale and is owned by Beaton of Waterdown, ON, along with David Mercer of Westmount, NS and Tim Hayes of Midway, KY.
A Clean Deal won the opening Gold event in the division on July 4, the second leg on July 17 and the third leg on Aug. 14, all at Woodbine Mohawk Park.