O'Brien Award winning trotter Intimidate made his four-year-old debut a winning one in a division of the Series Quebecoise during the season opener at Hippodrome 3R on Sunday afternoon.
Barred from the betting, last year's Breeders Crown champion Intimidate and driver Yves Filion swept to the lead past the :29.1 opening quarter in his $6,000 event for Quebec-bred trotters aged four and five and reached the half in 1:00.1. The son of Justice Hall was confronted by first over Taurus Du Parc as they raced past the three-quarters mark in 1:31.4, but drew off down the lane to win by more than two lengths in 2:03. Taurus Du Parc stayed for second while Montanarainbow edged out early leader Canbec Illusion for third.
Trainer Luc Blais shares ownership of the homebred, who earned the bulk of his $421,590 bankroll during a storybook sophomore campaign, with Judith Farrow of Hemmingford, Que.
The winning connections also celebrated another Series Quebecoise victory with five-year-old trotting mare Onthemoneyside ($2.60). The daughter of On The Sonny Side, who hit the board in her last start in the Lifetime Dream Trotting Series Final on April 27 at Woodbine Racetrack, turned back a challenge from Erge Margarita past the midway point and held off Aquanilla in the stretch to win by a neck in 2:04.1.
Sylvain Lacaille scored a driving hat trick on the 12-race card, which included a pair of Series Quebecoise division winners trained by Andre Lachance. Five-year-old pacing gelding China Grill ($3.10) unleashed a :28-second final frame to sweep off cover to a six and three-quarter length tally in 1:58. The Shanghai Phil gelding is owned and bred by Litwin Racing Team of Westmount, Que. Lachance's five-year-old trotter Le Senateur A L ($7.80), sired by Promising Catch, also romped to a wide open win in his season's debut, scoring in 2:02.4 by nearly six lengths.
Former Series Quebecoise female stars Beer Maggs ($4.10) and Olivias Way ($8.10) won their respective Sunday divisions.
Undefeated in four trotting series finals, Beer Maggs held off Kayla H and Mathers Promising to win her division in 2:06.4 by half a length. The five-year-old daughter of Have A Beer is trained and driven by Kevin Maguire for Ecuries Maguire Inc.
Three-time series final winner Olivias Way, a four-year-old daughter of Shanghai Phil, overcame early interference and rallied off cover to win her first start of 2013 in 2:02.4 by three-quarters of a length over Andro Madi for trainer-driver Marcel Barrieau and owner-breeder Hudson Standardbred Stable Inc.
Other pacing series winners included five-year-old Lincoln Parke mare C L La Rousse ($7) in 2:03.1 for driver Stephane Brosseau and trainer-leasee Philip Morin; five-year-old Leader Bayama ridgling Cliff Drummond ($3.20) in 2:00 for reinsman J.R. Plante and owner-trainer Pierre Ouellette Jr.; five-year-old Armbro Reply gelding Thebestofme ($5.70) in 2:02 for driver Mario Charron and owner-trainer Dennis Masse; and the season-debuting four-year-old Shanghai Phil mare Vallarta Magic ($26.50) in 2:01.3 for driver Jocelyn Gendron, trainer Herman Gagne and owner-breeder Aurel Harvey Et Fils Inc.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R.