The pacers performed as expected, the trotters did not in today's $5,000 Serie Quebecoise de Retour semi-finals for Quebec-bred three-year-olds at Hippodrome de Quebec
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Short-priced favourites prevailed in all four events for three-year-old pacers. Sambucca Mystic (1:58.4) and Beach Runner AM (2:00.4) captured the events for pacing colts and geldings, just as they did in the preliminaries a week earlier. Zoes Turn (2:00.3) and Sans Frontiere (1:59.4) won the events for three-year-old fillies; they also won their events a week ago.
The upsets came in the $5,000 semi-finals for trotters. Billy Le Bordelais, a 20-1 shot driven by Andre Lachance, took the event for colts and geldings in 2:04.1, with heavy favourite Herbie Drummond third. And Canbec Hors Serie sprang an 8-1 surprise in the event for trotting fillies, cruising home four lengths ahead of favourite Rea Bayama in 2:03.2.
The finals next weekend will go for $20,000 instead of the announced $15,000, thanks to $5,000 sponsorships provided by Hanover Shoe Farm, Tara Hills, Ecurie Reve Avec Moi, Horse Player Interactive, Ecuries Daniel Plouffe, Blue Chip Farm and Sulky Brodeur/Harnais Pepin.
"We are appreciative and proud of the support we have received from the industry," Quebec Jockey Club president Tony Infilise said.
To view Saturday's results, click here.
(A Trot Insider exclusive by Paul Delean)