There were two divisions of the $37,300 Lucien Bombardier Pace for two-year-old fillies at Hippodrome 3R on Sunday (Oct. 2) and it was the Guy Gagnon trainee, D A Temptation, who stole the show.
In the 10th race second division of the Bombardier, all eyes were on Quebec champion Pocahontas Du Lac for breeder, co-owner and driver Louis-Philippe Roy, who came back to 3R on Sunday to drive his filly.
Quick Menu (Samuel Fillion) was first on the lead, but Guy Gagnon had his sights set on the front and immediately sent D A Temptation to the top by the first quarter mile in :27.4.
As they came down the stretch the first time, Roy came first-over with the race favourite Pocahontas Du Lac and they were followed by Godiva Shadow Girl (Robert Shepherd). D A Temptation cut the mile to half in :58.4.
As Pocahontas Du Lac started to gain on D A Temptation in the backstretch, Guy Gagnon let his filly have a little more urging and she kept her lead up at the three-quarters in 1:28.
Try as they might, Roy asked his filly for more in the stretch, but it was not enough as Gagnon and D A Temptation were at their best, winning by one length in 1:56.4. Senorita I Am (Francis Picard) was third.
It was a lifetime mark and the second win this year for D A Temptation. The daughter of Sportswriter is owned by PL Yvan Mondoux, Inc. of Blainville, Que., and was bred by Dean & Ashley Wilson. She paid $5.70 to win.
The fifth race $18,900 first division of the Lucien Bombardier saw Langley Seelster and driver Guy Gagnon leave and take the early lead with Make Bet SBG (Louis-Philippe Roy) sitting the pocket seat as they went a mild :29 to the first quarter.
As the field headed towards the half-mile, Autumns Passion (Stephane Brosseau) came first-over, giving cover to the 1-5 favourite, Ladycorona and driver Pascal Berube. The half-mile timer was :59.2.
With Autumns Passion pressing Langley Seelster on the front end, the three-quarters were reached in 1:29. That was when Pascal Berube decided it was best to fan three-wide with Ladycorona.
They were three-across as the field started down the stretch, but Ladycorona had too much pace and pulled away to win by two lengths in 1:58.4 over Double Gum (Robert Shepherd) with Langley Seelster third.
It was the second straight win for Ladycorona. The Bettors Delight daughter is trained by Yves Tessier for owner-breeder Sotirios Anastasopoulos of Saints-Therese, Que.. She paid $2.70 to win.
Lucien Bombardier started training and driving harness horses at agricultural fair meetings in Quebec at an early age. In the 1940s, he left a business career to open a large racing stable at Richelieu Park in Montreal and in 1953, he accepted an executive position with Blue Bonnets which then became the Hippodrome de Montreal.
During 25 years in racetrack management, he played a role in developing many changes and innovations that helped make harness racing a major sport industry and earned him an enviable reputation on both sides of the border. He also served as a director of Harness Tracks of America and the Canadian Trotting Association.
At age 68, Bombardier retired from Blue Bonnets and embarked upon a new career when he became an executive with Angus Farms in Bedford, Que., one of the province’s most successful breeding establishments. Bombardier died in 1995 and was honoured each year at Hippodrome de Montreal with the running of the Lucien Bombardier Stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies.
He was elected into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1986.
With sponsorship from Standardbred Canada and the Quebec Jockey Club, Hippodrome 3R revived the stakes race in 2011.
The Lucien Bombardier Pace existed in Quebec long before the years of the last decade. It was raced at Hippodrome de Montréal and its ancestor, Blue Bonnets.
The renewal of the race returned to Hippodrome 3R in 2013, thus this year’s edition is the 10th revival.
To view the results from Sunday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(Quebec Jockey Club)