Challenging leader Stormont Ventnor rounding the final turn, Run Director ducked into the pocket rounding the final turn and popped back out in the stretch, surging past Stormont Ventnor to take the $225,000 OSS Super Final for three-year-old colt and gelding trot.
Perfetto trotted for the lead while Henderson Seelster parked in third to the quarter with Stormont Ventnor and Run Director also wide through a :28.2 opening quarter. Henderson Seelster soon cleared control before yielding to Stormont Ventnor heading to a :57.3 half.
Run Director progressed into second marching around the final turn but could not clear Stormont Ventnor to three-quarters. Driver Sylvain Filion angled to the pylons to draft behind the pacesetter past the 1:25.4 panel as the top two widened away from the rest of the competition. Stormont Ventnor continued to lead into the stretch as Filion patiently brought Run Director back outside and soon edged to the lead heading to the wire. Stormont Ventnor settled for second with another 10 lengths back to Jula Downton taking third from Chief Justice.
“He doesn’t really get out of there that quick,” Filion said after the race. “You got to be a little careful leaving the gate—he could maybe jump it off if you push him too hard. So I was just taking it easy out there and he raced good. We were out there the whole mile so I thought maybe if we could duck in behind Phil [Hudon on Stormont Ventnor], brave him up and give him another shot in the lane and he just responded real good.”
Winning his sixth race from 16 starts, Run Director has earned $394,955 for owners Thomas and Elizabeth Rankin. Benoit Baillargeon trains the Kadabra colt and paid $3.30 to win.
“There’s no quitting in him,” Baillargeon said after the race. “He loves to race and he tries—it doesn’t matter, he’ll try anybody. You saw him down the lane—he was three deep in the first turn then got two deep… and between me and you he wasn’t perfect tonight. I told Sylvain before the race ‘I’ve seen him worse but I’ve seen him better.’ But a good horse is a good horse and he overcame it.”
Baillargeon said Run Director’s next stop may possibly be the Breeders Crown at Pocono Downs with the eliminations next week.
“We might take a shot,” Baillargeon said. “I’ll see how he comes out Monday.”