On Sunday (Oct. 23) at Hippodrome 3R, the main event takes place in the ninth race where Histoire Enchantee — a winner in six of his last seven starts — takes on the best horses at the track in the Preferred Pace.
Ladies first. Sunday’s top pace also includes three mares taking on six male rivals. Those three mares got to draw for the inside posts and they are Better Kissthe Men (post one), Platine Alpha (post two), a seven-time winner this year and Twin B Betty (post 3), who last week was second in this same class. The ladies have shown the ability to beat their male rivals.
But the class of the field over the last three months has been Histoire Enchantee from post four for trainer-driver Simon Delisle. The eight-year-old gelded son of Shanghai Phil has really come into form week after week.
His first 10 starts this season saw no trips to the winner’s circle, but then he found his groove for Delisle and has won six of his last seven starts. He goes for his fourth straight win on Sunday.
Last week in this class, Histoire Enchantee did what he does best: going to the front and never looking back. He wired the field by one length over Twin B Betty and Siddhartha in 1:56.4.
Despite his winning ways, Histoire Enchantee is not the morning line favourite. That honour belongs to Platine Alpha, who had been trying her luck at Woodbine Mohawk Park in recent starts. She was unable to get a cheque but showed she can pace in a sub-1:53 clocking.
Another contender in the field is D Gs De Vito (post seven). He returns to his home base after competing at Rideau Carleton where he won in 1:53 and in his last start he was a game second, timed in 1:51.3. He will have regular pilot Jonathan Lachance in the sulky.
A favourite at 3R is Mickeymaksomespeed (post six) for driver Kiwon Waldron. Mickeymaksomespeed has won two of his last three starts, the fastest in 1:56 at H3R. Earlier this season he won in 1:54.4.
The field continues to be filled with local stars. Siddhartha leaves from post nine for driver Stephane Brosseau, and in post eight is Macho Polo. He brings in a two-race winning streak, having won his last start — a special 1-1/2 mile race — by a nose in 3:03.
Driver Pascal Berube has 10 drives in the 11 races on Sunday as he continues his quest to become the first driver in 3R history to win 100 races in a single season. He enters the final three days of the race meet at 3R with 91 wins.
Averaging three wins per card throughout the season at 3R, the feat is not impossible for Berube. It is just that no driver has ever been this close to 100 wins in the history of the track. On average most leading driver titles at H3R have been won with 40 to 50 wins. Berube is a shoo-in to win his third straight driving title at 3R, the only question that remains is if he can achieve the magic number of 100 wins.
First race post time on Sunday is 12:00 noon. For entries, click the following link: Sunday Entries - Hippodrome 3R.
(Quebec Jockey Club)