Simply The Best had no trouble living up to her name on Sunday, Sept. 22 at Hippodrome 3R as the filly led from start to finish in winning the Two-Year-Old Open Pace.

In the $5,000 Open for two-year-old pacing fillies, Simply The Best and driver Pascal Berube scooted right to the lead from post two with Mystic Moment (Marie-Claude Auger) leaving from the outside post seven and getting the two-hole trip.

Simply The Best cut the fractions to the quarter in :29.3 and the half-mile in 1:00.4 before race favourite Silver Majesty (Denis St. Pierre) started up first-over heading into the backstretch. But Silver Majesty was still two lengths back in third place at the three-quarters in 1:30.4.

Simply The Best remained strong on the lead through the stretch, holding off Silver Majesty to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:59.2. The pocket-sitting Mystic Moment was third.

Eligible to the upcoming Bombardier Pace coming up on Sunday, Oct. 6, Simply The Best (All Bets Off-Sauble Claire) earned her third win in eight starts. She is trained by Marc-Andre Simoneau for Aurel Harvey Et Fils Inc.

Sent off as the 7-2 third choice, she paid $9.30 to win.

In the co-featured $6,000 pace for Quebec-bred three-year-olds, there was a dogfight for the lead right from the start as the lone filly in the field, Butterfly Catcher (Antoine Desrochers), held off a determined Handsoffnosein (Pascal Berube) past the opening quarter in :27.4, before Berube backed off and put the favoured Handsoffnosein in the two-hole.

Heading to the half-mile, Foiled Dragon (Jocelyn Gendron) was first-over with second-over Classic Jim and driver Stephane Brosseau sweeping three-wide past the midway mark in :57 and then clearing to the lead on the third turn.

Classic Jim led to the three-quarters in 1:27 as Handsoffnosein went back out first-over but could not make up enough ground in the stretch. Classic Jim held on to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:57.4 over Handsoffnosein with HP Game On (Marie-Claude Auger) third.

Classic Jim earned his fifth win in 16 starts during his debut racing year. The three-year-old Big Jim-Imagine Semalu gelding is trained and co-owned by Carl Duguay with Investissement K F B.

He paid $5.20 to win as the second wagering choice.

The fastest mile on the day was in the $4,000 10th race pace where overwhelming race favourite Uncontrollable swept four-wide from seventh place in the backstretch. Clearing to first-over on the final turn, the six-year-old gelding collared pacesetter Ritchie Alpha (William Roy) in the stretch and then pulled away for a five-length victory in 1:55.4. Eataams Sportsbaby (Marie-Claude Auger) was second, a nose ahead of third-place finisher Pey Bug (Denis St. Pierre).

The win was the second straight and sixth of the season from 19 starts for Uncontrollable. The son of Control The Moment-Precious Relationis trained by Johanne Dechamplain, who co-owns with Steve Perreault. 

Uncontrollable paid $2.20 to win.

Favourite Jimbelina barely held off Beauty Is Blind to win the $5,000 Preferred Pace for the mares in 1:56.2. Driven by Marie-Claude Auger, Jimbelina wired the field, winning by a head over Beauty Is Blind (Pascal Berube) with Mach N Blue Cheez (Robert Shepherd) third.

The 11-year-old Big Jim-Buddys Gal mare paid $6.10 to win while recording her fourth score of the season in 16 starts for trainer Andre Champagne and owner Roland Trudel.

Both William Roy and Pascal Berube scored driving doubles on Sunday.

Live harness racing resumes next Sunday, Sept. 29 at 12 noon. 

To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R.

(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)