On Sunday (Oct. 20), Sultan D Or was sent away at the longest odds of any Standardbred that was competing during Hippodrome 3R’s 10-race card. When he did the unthinkable and managed to win his respective race, he etched his name into the track’s record book.
Sultan D Or, who had Sylvain Lacaille in the sulky, rocked the H3R tote board when he captured the program’s sixth race after having been sent postward at odds of 135-1.
The massive upset led to the highest win payoff – $272.10 to win, $79.40 to place and $15.10 to show – in the eight-year history of H3R (since its revival from bankruptcy by the Quebec Jockey Club). The prior record win payoff was $204.50 by Classic Mondiale (and driver Pierre Luc Roy) in 2016.
Race 6 saw Sultan D Or and Lacaille get away in sixth place from Post 8. The pair held its position until the field reached the backstretch, at which point Lacaille moved Sultan D Or to the outside, found live cover, tipped three-wide, and then looped the field.
Sultan D Or was first-over against race leader Mr Logan Mirox (Michel Audet) on the final turn, and they eventually wore down the leader and won by three quarters of a length in 2:02.
Mr Logan Mirox finished second and SOS Turbo (Tyler Jones) third.
Sultan D Or, pictured rocking the tote board at odds of 135-1.
The victory was the fifth win this year for Sultan D Or. The ten-year-old gelded son of Newtown is owned and trained by Pierre Turcotte of Trois-Rivieres. Sultan D Or did not start in a harness race until he was eight years old.
Reinsman Pascal Berube won the first four races during the Sunday card (he didn’t have a drive in Race 5). The resident of Portneuf-Station was obviously sharp right off the bat, but he was definitely firing on all cylinders when he won the Preferred Pace (Race 3) with Hooter Shooter.
The Preferred, which housed a compact field of five, saw Surf Report (Tyler Jones) head right to the lead. Race favourite Maracasso (Carol Voyer) also left, but took a two-hole tuck before the quarter-mile clock flashed to life in :27.2.
Voyer then pulled the pocket and came first-over against Surf Report by the half mile marker in :56. The action heated up as Maracasso could not pass by Surf Report as Berube moved second-over with Hooter Shooter.
Voyer cleared to the lead with Maracasso by the three-quarters pole, which was clicked off in 1:25.1, but he then had to contend with Hooter Shooter and Berube on the final turn.
Hooter Shooter had a full head of steam, collared Maracasso in the stretch, and hung game to win by a half length in 1:55. Maracasso finished second and Histoire Enchantee (Stephane Gendron) finished third.
It was the ninth win this year for Hooter Shooter. The six-year-old Badlands Hanover gelding is owned and trained by Marc Andre Simoneau of Trois-Rivieres and paid $6.00 to win.
Berube also hit the wire first with Bemmo Image ($5.10) in Race 9.
Track Notes: Trainer Marc Andre Simoneau sent out two winners from his stable to lead all trainers. Live racing will resume next Sunday (October 27) with first race post time at 1:00 p.m. For more information, free race program and to view the H3R live via the internet, visit www.quebecjockeyclub.com.
To view the harness racing results for Sunday at H3R, click the following link: Sunday Results – Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from the Quebec Jockey Club)