Phil’s Dream, Canada’s reigning champion sprinter, outdueled Go Blue Or Go Home to defend his title in Saturday’s $143,800 Ontario Jockey Club Stakes, at Woodbine.
The six-year-old Philanthropist gelding, owned and trained by Paul Buttigieg, settled off the early pace of Massive Explosion and moved in tandem with Go Blue Or Go Home through the turn before outlasting that rival to score a neck victory.
Buttigieg also saddled third-place finisher True Executive in the compact five-horse overnight stake in which the conditioner reaped bonus benefits, as part of an improved program announced in February by Woodbine and the HBPA, for both horses as Ontario-sired and bred stock.
Phil’s Dream earned $60,000 for the win, plus a 20 percent Ontario-bred bonus of $12,000 and an additional 40 percent Ontario-sired bonus of $24,000 for a take home of $96,000.
True Executive banked $11,000 for finishing third with an additional $2,200 Ontario-bred bonus and a further $4,400 Ontario-sired bonus for a take home of $17,600.
Both horses were bred by Buttigieg Training Centre. In victory, Phil’s Dream improved his career record to 10-3-2 from 17 starts.
He returned $4.20, pairing with Go Blue Or Go Home for a $6.50 (1-5) exactor. A 1-5-4 (True Executive) tractor was worth $64.10.
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