The highest win payoff of the 2017 harness racing season at the Hippodrome 3R was recorded on Sunday (November 5).
The Rocket Man and trainer/driver Michel Audet blasted to the lead along the backstretch and then held off Bel Gazou (driven by Louis-Philippe Roy) to win by a head at odds of 55-1, which resulted in a $112.00 win mutuel.
The $3,400 Race 6 trot saw Federal Strike and driver Sylvain Fontaine head out to the early lead. The Rocket Man and Audet sat on the outside in fifth place as Federal Strike cut the quarter in :29.4.
The Rocket Man had a slight lead over Federal Strike at the 1:01.1 half-mile call and then took command along the backstretch as Federal Strike began to fade.
As the finish neared, Federal Strike caught a second wind and nearly collared The Rocket Man. Bel Gazou closed with a burst of speed, but it was too late to catch The Rocket Man. Federal Strike was third. The time of the mile was 2:04.4 over the ‘good’ track.
The payoff was the first $100 plus winner to come in at H3R this season.
The Rocket Man is a four-year-old gelded son of Manofmanymissions and is owned by Roxanne Viau of Bertheirville, QC. It was his fourth win this year.
With one of the most amazing racing efforts of the year at H3R, National Debt and driver Stephane Gendron swept three and four-wide along the backstretch, and came on to win the eighth race Invitational Pace going away.
After having gotten away in last place at the beginning of the race, National Debut could see them all as Atomic Million AM (Mario Charron) led the field with Glass Shadow (Stephane Brosseau) sitting in the place spot to the opening quarter mile in :28.
As they came to the half mile in :58.2, National Debt was still in last place, but horses began to come out to challenge, but that was not fast enough for National Debt and Gendron, as they tipped three-wide heading to the backstretch.
Then, before the three-quarter mile marker in 1:28.1, Gendron was forced four-wide with National Debt, and the pacer responded by circling the field on the final turn and collaring Atomic Million despite being three-wide.
Coming down the stretch, National Debt was bearing out but still had plenty of pace left to win by one and one-quarter lengths in 1:58.1. Glass Shadow was second with Atomic Million AM third.
It was the tenth victory of the season for National Debt, a six-year-old horse trained by Yves Tessier for owner Francois Morin of Beauceville, QC. He paid $5.70 to win.
Track Notes: With next Sunday being the closing day for the 2017 live harness racing meet at H3R, it looks like both the driving and training titles are not wrapped up. Driver Stephane Brosseau holds a diminishing 51-46 lead over Stephane Gendron for the dash winning title. With two victories from his stable Sunday, Frances Richard looks to hold up as the leading trainer at H3R. He leads 26-19 over Yves Tessier, who also had a winner. Drivers Pascal Berube, Stephane Gendron and Louis-Philippe Roy all had two winners on the program Sunday.
Post time next Sunday will be at 12:30 p.m.
To view the harness racing results for Sunday at Hippodrome 3R, click the following link: Sunday Results – Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from the Quebec Jockey Club)