Driver Pierre Luc Roy, the older brother of Canada's leading driver, Louis Philippe Roy, had his best day of the season at the Hippodrome 3R on Sunday (Oct. 21), not only winning four races, but two of them were the co-feature second leg of the Quebec Plus Series.
Roy started out the day winning the third race, the first division of the Quebec Plus Series, with Lune Bleu ($2.90).
Roy and Lune Bleu took the early lead away from Ernie Panic (driven by Francis Picard) by the opening quarter mile and was home free from there. The duo went on to win by four and one-quarter lengths in 1:59.2. Ernie Panic finished second and Y C Easy (Carl Duguay) third.
The victory was the second consecutive win for the three-year-old Big Jim filly. She is trained by Maxime Velaye for owner/breeder Guy Corbeil of Mirabel.
Later in the program (the ninth race), Roy would score his fourth winner of the day, as he captured the other Quebec Plus Series leg with Hercule J M ($16.20).
Race favourite Encore Panic (Jocelyn Gendron) led from the start; then, in the backstretch, Art Of The Master (Stephane Gendron) came first-over with Roy and Hercule J M following second-over; then three-wide going to the three-quarters with Indigo Seelster (Daniel LaFlame) four-wide on the final turn.
As they straightened out for the stretch drive, it became a two-horse race, as Roy and Hercule J M were able to hold off Indigo Seelster to win by a neck in 1:59.4. Encore Panic finished third.
A five-year-old gelding by Goliath Bayama, Hercule J M posted his third win this year. He is trained, owned and was bred by Jacques Mercier of Ste-Helene-De-Kamouraska.
Newcomer Talbotcreek Suzie ($4.70), the lone mare in the field, crushed her six male opponents in the Preferred Trot (Race 7).
R Kadabra and Francis Picard went to the early lead as always with Talbotcreek Suzie in the two-hole. Then, by the half-mile marker, driver Stephane Gendron sent Talbotcreek Suzie to the lead and they never looked back. The duo went on to win in a romp by seven lengths in 1:58. Seeyou Men (Stephane Brosseau) finished second and Holiday Party (Pascal Berube) finished third.
The victory was the eighth win of the year for the six-year-old mare by Angus Hall. She is trained by Yves Tessier for owner Francis Morin of Beauceville.
Wild River Swan ($13.90) turned the tables on Rainbow Palace (Francis Picard) and kept her rival in the two-hole during Race 6 for driver Jocelyn Gendron. The duo wired the field and recorded a one and one-quarter length victory in 1:56.4 over Rainbow Palace. The battle between the two top mares at H3R is tied now 1-1.
Track Notes: Next week, the Quebec Jockey Club will host the $10,000 final of the Quebec Plus Series for three, four and five-year-old pacers. First-race post time will be at 12:50 p.m. For more information, visit quebecjockeyclub.com.
To view the harness racing results for Sunday at H3R, click the following link: Sunday Results – Hippodrome 3R.
(Quebec Jockey Club)