Mason's Gamble surges late in Ontario Jockey Club
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Mason’s Gamble vied for the lead with three others and went on to win the war under Rafael Hernandez in Sunday’s $100,800 Ontario Jockey Club Stakes at Woodbine.
Mason’s Gamble raced three wide on the turn through moderate fractions in the six-furlong sprint, just outside longshots Sunspear and Eskiminzin and inside Souper Success.
Sunspear assumed command around the quarter pole before tiring in the stretch, where Candy Overload mounted a strong wide rally. After dropping back a little exiting the turn, Mason’s Gamble came back on to prevail by a half-length, in a posted final time of 1:09.51.
Favored Secret Reserve finished another head back in third, and second choice Red River Rebel wound up fourth in the 10-horse field of older Ontario-sired runners.
Mason’s Gamble ($12.60) earned $60,000 in his first stakes success for ATA Stables. Winning trainer Josie Carroll said the 4-year-old son of Gamble’s Exchange had an excuse in his dull season opener in a May 15 conditioned allowance.
“He was awfully sharp off the winter off,” Carroll recalled. “He was much edgier than usual in the paddock. He got out there and in :21 and :44 kind of fractions, versus the :45s he usually runs. I think he was just too sharp and pushed himself too hard early and just folded up a little late.
“When I saw the fractions he was getting (today), those are the kind of fractions he likes to run. I thought he’d be really tough from where we were sitting. I had a lot of confidence in Rafael pushing him home.”