After grinding it out to the lead by the opening quarter mile, it was a piece of cake for the trotter Holiday Party, who went on to post his sixth straight victory with an easy romp at the Hippodrome 3R Tuesday.

Competing in the third race colt division of the Breeders Cup Series for three-year-olds, Holiday Party was on cruise control once clearing to the lead for driver Pascal Berube, holding the field at bay and then pulling away in the stretch for a three and one-quarter length triumph in 1:58.4. The pocket-sitting KFM Amigo Cool (Stephane Brosseau) was second with Skyflex (Yves Filion) third.

Trained by Dany Fontaine for owner Gaetan Bono Inc of Montreal, QC, it was the seventh win in just 11 starts this year for Holiday Party. The son of Holiday Road was winless at age two in eight starts. He paid just $2.70 to win as the 1-5 betting favourite.

This was the fourth and final preliminary round of the Breeders Cup Series that will culminate on Sunday, September 4 with $65,000 finals for fillies and colts, trotters and pacers. It is then that Holiday Party will try and make it a clean sweep of the series against track record holder Wildwild Men.

In the sixth race filly division, Artemis Duharas showed real true grit, making two first-over moves and then coming on at the finish to edge out Y S Suzanne by a head in 2:01.2.

Eau Naturelle (Simon Delisle) left quickly out of the starting gate with race favourite Y S Suzanne and trainer/driver Carl Duguay sitting the pocket seat and trainer/driver Pierre Bovay parked out first-over trying for the lead, but there was no passing Eau Naturelle and by the opening quarter mile in :29.2, Bovay had to back off and settle in third place with Artemis Duharas. Then after the half mile marker in 1:00.2, with Eau Naturelle in command, Bovay came back first-over again with Artemis Duharas. They raced that way by the three-quarters in 1:30.4 and around the final turn.

Once the three horses straightened out in the stretch, Duguay hit the passing lane with Y S Suzanne and looked to have plenty of trot, but Artemis Duharas dug in some more to win it by a head. Eau Naturelle faded to third.

It was the second win this year for Artemis Duharas. The daughter of Andover Hall was bred and is owned by Haras De L Estrie Inc of Dunham, QC and paid $7.30 to win.

There were two non-wagering divisions of the second round of the Future Stars Series for two-year-old trotters. The fastest of the two were the fillies as Joyce Lavec and driver Pascal Berube stalked pacesetter Taurus P V (Stephane Brosseau) for most of the mile, then with a late charge in the stretch, came on to win by a half-length in 2:06.2. Affirmee (Guy Corbeil) was third.

It was the first wagering start for Joyce Lavec, a daughter of Mr Lavec, who is trained by Dany Fontaine and owned and bred by Jean Berthiaume of Sorel-Tracy, QC.

In the colt division, Chapitre Duharas and driver Pierre Bovay was able to grind it out to the lead by the half mile marker over Kinnder Dangerous and driver Justin Filion, but then in the stretch, Filion was able to come back with Kinnder Dangerous to win by one length in 2:07.2. Yoan Bayama (Yves Filion) was third.

For Kinnder Dangerous, a gelded son of Northern Escort, it was his first win. He is trained, owned and was bred by Denitza Petrova of Les Cedres, QC.

3R’s top reinsman, Louis-Philippe Roy, had the hot hands Tuesday, scoring four winners on the program.

Live racing resumes at 3R on Sunday with first race post time at 1:30 p.m. This will be the last live program for two weeks as another type of horsepower comes to town as 3R becomes part of the Grand Prix auto races that take place throughout the entire town of Trois-Rivieres. After Sunday’s program, live racing will return at 3R on Tuesday, August 16.

(QJC)

To view results for Tuesday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Tuesday Results – Hippodrome 3R.