Milton, ON — Ghostly Casper opened the 2023 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold season by winning the first of two C$101,300 divisions for 3-year-old trotting colts Monday (May 29) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The son of Resolve prevailed over 1-9 favorite Hasty Bid in an exciting stretch duel for his first career win after earning six second-place finishes and four third-place finishes in his first 14 starts.

“I always had lots of faith in this horse. He’s a really nice horse,” said trainer Benoit 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. 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. Hasty Bid finished second; Dowedealinandwhy (Jody Jamieson) finished third.

Ghostly Casper won the opening Gold division of the 2023 Ontario Sires Stakes season on Monday at Woodbine Mohawk Park. New Image Media.

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.’”

Ghostly Casper paid $24.70 to win.

The second OSS division saw Tuscan Prince, also rebounding from a break in his prior start, prevail over Osceola in 1:53.

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.

Tuscan Prince surged to the lead on the far turn and held off a second push from Osceola (Doug McNair) by three-quarters of a length. Oh Look Magic (Chris Christoforou) edged out What An Angel for third.

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.

He paid $4.80 to win.