It was a special day of racing for 15 apprentice drivers and trainers competing in the Challenge Cup with divisions for both the ladies and the gentlemen at the Hippodrome 3R on Sunday, Oct. 17.
Many of the drivers and trainers competing have been racing on the Quebec Regional Fair Circuit during the summer.
It was ladies first in the fifth race pace that was the most exciting race of the day as Adamncam and driver Lena Ouellet left out to the early lead with CL Big Beach (Nancy Auger) on the outside and Iron Phil (Nathalie Migneault) sitting in the two-hole to the opening quarter mile in 29 seconds.
Still stuck first-over, CL Big Beach and Auger were determined to get to the lead and did so by the half-mile in :59.2. That left Prairie Mystic and driver Johanne Dechamplain, the former race secretary at H3R, now first-over as the field rounded the third turn and heading into the backstretch.
Dechamplain tried to get to the lead with Prairie Mystic, but CL Big Beach and Nancy Auger would have nothing to do with it, parking them out to the three-quarters in 1:28.4.
Those two continued to battle head and head around the final turn and down the stretch until Prairie Mystic tired towards the wire as CL Big Beach went on to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:59.3. Prairie Mystic held for second with a late-closing Independence Time (Guylaine Gagnon) finishing third.
The win was the third this season for CL Big Beach. The four-year-old gelded son of Sportswriter is trained by Auger for owner Joel Gagnon of Pont Rouge, Que. He paid $7.50 to win.
For Auger, it was her ninth career driving win and fourth training victory.
The gentlemen’s division was the seventh race where longtime trainer Marc Lemay was able to lead from start to finish with Spider Man Hanover.
Spider Man Hanover took early control with race favourite El Torero and driver Maxime Dinelle getting the pocket-seat to the opening quarter-mile in 29 seconds.
Then as Payback and driver Francis Gagnon tried to rush up and go after the race leader, that flushed Dinelle and El Torero first-over and forced Payback to go three-wide as Tobins Terror (Antoine Desrochers) filled in the second-over spot.
They straightened it all out by the half-mile marker in :59.4 with Spider Man Hanover in control, El Torero first-over but unable to gain ground on the leader by the three-quarters in 1:29.1.
Coming down the stretch, Spider Man Hanover remained the strong horse, holding off El Torero to win by 1-1/4 lengths in 2:00.2. Its Machademic (Jonathan Gagnon) was third.
The win was the fourth this year for Spider Man Hanover. The eight-year-old gelded son of Western Ideal is not only trained but also owned by the Marc Lemay Stable of Quebec City, Que. He paid $8.50 to win.
For Lemay the driver, it was his 14th career win. For Lemay the trainer, it was his 67th training victory.
T C Scandal ($6.60) led from before the opening quarter-mile for driver Pascal Berube and could not be caught, winning the ninth race $5,000 Preferred 2 Pace for the mares in 1:57.3 by 1-1/4 lengths.
Track Notes: Pascal Berube led all drivers with a triple and Marc Lemay had a training double. There are only three live racing dates left for the 2021 race season at H3R. Racing resumes next Sunday, with post time at 12:10 p.m.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)