NIGHT LEADER unleashed a furious rally midway through the 3rd running of the Ontario Bred Futurity and captured the $61,020 stakes race for 2-year-olds, August 4 at Ajax Downs.
Making just his third career start, Night Leader, sent off at odds of 8 to 1, broke smoothly from post seven in the eight-horse field and then flew past favoured First Cold Wave to win going away by 1 1/2 lengths under jockey Josh Scott. First Cold Wave, trained by Jason Pascoe and ridden by jockey Brian Bell held second by a neck over another Pascoe juvenile, Kold Kinda Star with Ismael Mosquiera riding.
Owned by John Wilson of New Liskeard, ON and Scott Reid of Lansdowne and trained by Reid, Night Leader raced the 300-yards on a fast track in 15.739 for an 83 speed index. The son of Ontario sire El Night Shift from the mare Bajillion was bred by Edith Slater and was coming into the Futurity off a second and third-place finish in maiden races. He earned $25,163 for the victory. The bay gelding paid $19.60 to win.
"The first two starts he just needed to get a grasp of what he was supposed to do and today he just put it all together," said Scott. "I have been getting on all of Scott's 2-year-olds and I felt I had a knack with this little guy."
John Wilson was pleased to be back at Ajax Downs to watch his horses race after the track was closed to spectators in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I missed seeing my horses last year but it's good to be here today. Night Leader is a serious little guy, he doesn't fool around much. We were proud of him today."
For Reid, Night Leader was his second stakes winner of the 2021 season, following the victory by George Coleman's Firing Red Jess, also ridden by Scott, in the Picov Maturity in June.
Racing continues at Ajax Downs next Wednesday, August 11 with the exciting final of the $50,000-added Ontario Bred Derby.
Fans are welcome at the track and can register to attend at
www.ajaxdowns.com. First race post time is 1:30 p.m.
Keep up to date on Quarter Horse racing at Ajax Downs by following us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, @AjaxDowns.
Video feed of the August 4 card of racing at Ajax Downs:
https://www.facebook.com/ajaxdownsracetrack/videos/876039956333066
Jockey Josh Scott and co-owner and trainer Scott Reid celebrate the victory of Night Leader, also owned by John Wilson, in the Ontario Bred Futurity. New Image Media/Clive Cohen photos
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