The unbeaten win streak this year by Intouchable is no more as the three-year-old trotter went off-stride after the start of the first race at the Hippodrome 3R on Wednesday.
Touted as perhaps “untouchable” after his easy victories in the first two rounds of the $200,000 Quebec-Bred Series, Intouchable and driver Mario Charron went on the gallop after the start and could not get back on-stride and was distanced in the race.
Intouchable’s first loss in 2015 was a big gain for Seeyou Men, who started from post three for driver Robert Shepherd, went right to the lead, held the field at bay through fractions of :28.3, :59.3 and 1:29.4 before opening up on the field and winning in a romp by five and one-quarter lengths in 1:59.3, a new track record for three-year-old gelding trotters. Promesses Imperial (Jerome Lombart) was second with Champagne Panic (Denis Filion) third.
The win was the second in just three lifetime starts and a lifetime mark for Seeyou Men. The gelded son of Muscle Mass is trained by Isabelle Darveau for owner Catheline Pelletier and Chantal Gravel. He paid $9.70 to win.
In the seventh race, filly division, a bulky field of 10 starters went behind the starting gate and it was National Trace and driver Stephane Brosseau who were the first on the lead as race favourite Double Chance (Sylvain Lacaille) went off-stride.
National Trace led to the opening quarter mile in :29.2, then giving way to stubborn Meganou (Jocelyn Gendron), who took the field to the half-mile marker in :59.3 and looked to be in total control of the race. Then right at the three-quarters in 1:30.2, Meganou went off-stride, giving the easy lead back to National Trace.
But stalking the field in third-place most of the mile was D Espoir and driver Pascal Berube and at the top of the stretch they came after stablemate National Trace, collared her in mid-stretch and came on to win by a half-length in 2:03.3. Chamane (Mario Charron) was third.
Both D Espoir and National Trace are trained by Dany Fontaine and owned by Ecurie Gaetan Bono, Inc. D Espoir is also co-owned by the Berto Stable. The win was just the first in two starts this year for the daughter of Windsong Espoir. She paid $8.50 to win.
Coming up this Sunday at the Hippodrome 3R will be the third round of the Quebec-Bred Series for three-year-old pacers.
In other action, Jean Briere earned his first driving win in the evening's sixth race, steering April Bandit to a neck decision over Jemba Jemba (Gaetan Lamy) and Shiny Mach (Stephane Gendron) in 1:59 flat. The six-year-old Real Artist mare is trained by Simon Delisle and owned by Carole Levesque.
To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Wednesday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from QJC)