Throughout North American harness racing, it is becoming retirement time for 14-year-olds. And this Sunday, Oct. 29, one of the first of these senior citizens of racing, Iron Phil will hang up his shoes in a special ceremony at Hippodrome 3R in Quebec.
Iron Phil is not a household name in racing except in the province of Quebec, where he raced for pretty much his entire career.
The son of King Tutpankhamen was trained and co-owned for most of his career by Nathalie Migneault and co-owned with Eric Dechamplain of Saint-Donat and win, place or draw he will retire from racing after he competes in the fourth race pace on Sunday. He was bred in Quebec by Stephane Brosseau and Jean Beaulieu.
Some horses that are competing well can continue to race after age 14, but usually only in amateur or fair races. As for Iron Phil, Sunday is his last hurrah.
The bay gelding has won a race every year of his career since the age of three. This season he is 0-for-16, but don’t count him out yet.
Iron Phil is the 3-1 second choice in the fourth race for driver Jocelyn Gendron. Iron Phil has a record of 1:56 taken at 3R as a six-year-old. He has made 245 starts with 27 wins, 52 second and 50 third place finishes.
No matter where he finishes on Sunday, after the race there will be a special retirement ceremony in the winner’s circle for Iron Phil. It will be a fitting event honouring a warhorse, one of only a few in North America to have raced every year of their career.
The main event on Sunday is the ninth race Preferred Handicap Pace where Partyintheshadows goes for his third straight win for driver Robert Shepherd and trainer David Pilon.
Handicapped with starting from the far outside in post eight, Partyintheshadows put in one of his best miles ever last week in this class at 3R, romping by six and one-half lengths in 1:54.1. It was his fifth win of the season for owner Francois Morin of Beauceville, Que.
Also looking for his third straight win is Delicate Sound from post five for driver Pascal Berube and trainer Marc-Andre Simoneau. Other contenders in the race include D Gs De Vito (post seven), Celia Bayama (post three) and the third return winner in the field, Do You See It (post one).
First race post time Sunday at H3R is 12 noon. After Sunday’s card, there will be just two more Sunday afternoon cards left for the 2023 race season at 3R. For more information and a free race program, visit hippodrome3R.ca. For Sunday's full entries, click the following link: Sunday Entries - Hippodrome 3R.
(Quebec Jockey Club)