Although Seeyou Men was unable to collar race winner Capteur De Reve last week, he was able to get the best of his rival on Sunday (Nov. 3) and record an impressive victory in the Preferred Trot at the Hippodrome 3R.
Volare (who was driven by Jocelyn Gendron) went off-stride right at the start of the race, which enabled race favourite Capteur De Reve (Stephane Gendron) to take early control of the afternoon’s featured event. Talbotcreek Suzie (Pascal Berube) worked into the two-hole before the quarter-mile clock flashed to life in :29.1.
In the second quarter, Gendron backed Capteur De Reve down before recording a pedestrian half-mile clocking in 1:00.4. Driver Francis Picard then came first-over with Seeyou Men, who had Missionoftheheart (Tyler Jones) following the overland cover.
Picard rated Seeyou Men perfectly on the outside and collared Capteur De Reve by the three-quarters marker (1:30) and then by the top of the stretch. Seeyou Men grabbed the lead and held off Capteur De Reve to win by one length in 2:00. Missionoftheheart finished third.
The victory was the fourth win of the season for Seeyou Men. The seven-year-old Muscle Mass gelding is a former Quebec-bred champion and former track record holder at H3R. Seeyou Men is trained by Daniel Martin and was bred by Chantal Gravel of St-Cyrille-De-Wendover. Gravel co-owns Seeyou Men with Catheline Pelletier of Mirabel. Seeyou Men paid $8.00 to win.
National Debt scored the fastest mile on the day, as he overpowered a field of five rivals in the Preferred Pace.
Natioanl Debt, who was driven by Pascal Berube, had to grind it out early in the mile, as a stubborn Histoire Enchantee (Stephane Gendron) parked them out to the opening quarter mile in :27.1 and then to the half in :56.
National Debut cleared to the lead after the half and started to pull away by the three-quarters pole (1:25). National Debt kept his motoring running, as he went on to stop the teletimer in 1:54.2. He won by eight lengths over Maracasso (Carol Voyer). Hooter Shooter (Francis Picard) finished third.
The victory was the 14th win this season for National Debt. The eight-year-old Allamerican Native horse is trained by Yves Tessier for owner Francois Morin of Beauceville. He paid $2.60 to win.
Steven Gagnon, 26, of Sorel Tracy, won his first professional pari-mutuel race Sunday, as he scored a three and a quarter-length romp with Kiss Me Bad ($25.00). Gagnon owns and trains Kiss Me Bad, who scored a lifetime mark of 2:02.2. Gagnon had been competing in the Quebec Regional Fair Circuit the past four years.
The tote board nearly exploded in Race 11 when Free Proof and owner/trainer/driver Sylvain Fontaine swept five-wide on the final turn and came on to win at odds of 50-1, paying $102.60 to win.
Track Notes: Pascal Berube led all drivers on the afternoon with three wins. Trainer Yves Tessier had the hottest stable at H3R sending out three winners on the day. Next Sunday, November 10, will be closing day for the 2019 live harness racing season at the Hippodrome 3R. Presentations will be made to the race meets leading driver and trainer and a special blanket presentation will be made to the 14-year-old trotter, Chinnys Wings, who must retire from racing at the end of the year. For full race results, visit qubecjockeyclub.com.
To view the harness racing results for Sunday at H3R, click the following link: Sunday Results – Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from the Quebec Jockey Club)