A Bit O'Gold takes Plate Trial

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - at Woodbine.

A Bit O'Gold got hung out four-wide on the clubhouse turn under Jono Jones, who placed him three lengths off the lead on the backstretch of the nine-furlong event. Little Bentley set moderate fractions of :23.81 and :48.78 while being pressed by Twisted Wit, who had rushed up into contention after blowing the break.

A Bit O'Gold made a three-wide bid for the lead on the far turn, and hit the front at the quarter pole before cruising to a three and a quarter-length victory. Niigon was a stalking second, after being checked heading into the far turn, while Little Bentley faded to third in the eight-horse field of Canadian-bred 3-year-olds. The final time was 1:51.74.

"I had a perfect trip on the outside," said Jones. "He relaxed; he picked it up, and he finished like we wanted him to."

A Bit O'Gold returned $5.60 as the favorite, and banked $99,990 for The Two Bit Racing Stable and trainer Catherine Day Phillips.

* Winter Garden ($2.60) led throughout Sunday's supporting feature, the $108,000 Sweet Briar Too Stakes. David Clark rode Winter Garden, who covered seven furlongs in 1:23.82 while notching her second consecutive stakes.