by Jeff Renton, Woodbine Entertainment Group

Toronto, February 16, 2004… There wasn’t much room separating the Ontario-sired four-year-old pacers at the wire Monday night at Woodbine, as the Ontario Boys Series kicked-off under tight quarters.

Tipping from his second-over cover, Hustlin Rustler and Luc Ouellette stopped the clock from the three-wide path in 1:54.1 during the opening split.

With So Lucky Hanover (Mike Saftic) leaving from the gate well and posting a 27-second opening quarter-mile, Smoke N Sizzle (Steve Condren) made the first-up sacrifice from the backfield. Following that cover into the final turn after the :57.2 half-mile, Hustlin Rustler was in perfect striking position after the third panel flashed in 1:26.4. Moving his mount wide in the lane, Ouellette and the son of Rustler Hanover—Miffed Hanover got up in the closing strides for the quarter-length score.

“I thought that I’d be able to get away third and race him out of a hole, but as it turned out a few horses left and I was able to settle in, move him and follow. He had a really good kick at the end,” said Ouellette, of Hustlin Rustler.

Owned by Calgary, Alberta’s Gordon Bryan, bred by Walnridge Farm Inc. of Creamridge, New Jersey, and trained by Mark Harder, Hustlin Rustler topped a $20.30 exactor with So Lucky Hanover ($2.60, $2.30) and an $86.40 triactor with Smoke N Sizzle ($3.30) in what was his seventh career score.

Coming home with a boatload of late pace, Bingo Bert and driver Randy Waples motored their way to a lifetime mark in the second division.

Also three-wide at the wire, Bingo Bert (debuting for trainer Kevin McMaster) stopped the proceedings in 1:54.4 by three-quarters of a length for his first win in as many tries this campaign.

A homebred of Cheltenham, Ontario’s Jean Carol Tymcio, Bingo Bert (an Albert Albert—Caftan gelding) and Waples were in the two-hole as Hillarys Fame (Paul MacKenzie) carved the opening fraction in 27 seconds flat. With Fort Apache employing a strong move on the outside along the backstretch from

fourth, Bingo Bert sat third at the 58-second half-mile marker and at the 1:26 three-quarters pole. Hillarys Fame tried for the retake in the lane, but it was Bingo Bert getting up for the score by three-quarters of a length.

Giving his own synopsis of how the festivities played out, Waples attempted his own ‘third person’ assessment of the triumph afterwards outside of the paddock.

“Randy lucked out there,” began Waples, offering a monologue which would make WWE’s ‘The Rock’ proud. “Randy didn’t know much about him there, so he went into the first turn there. It was the first time Randy had drove him and he got lucky and left a little bit. Randy got some position going around

the first turn and got really lucky because Paul MacKenzie moved out of the two-hole. Randy got to stay on Paul helmet a little bit longer and Randy was able to get there right at the wire.”

All fun aside, Bingo Bert ($9.50, $6.90, $4.00) looked strong when asked in the win, which was the fourth of his career. The second leg of the Ontario Boys Series goes postward next Monday, February 23rd, while the C$54,000 (estimated) finale is scheduled for Monday, March 1st.