Trainer Jerome Lombart's Quebec stakes champion mare MVPs Daughter returned to winning form with a front-stepping score in the $7,000 Preferred Handicap Trot at Hippodrome 3R on Sunday, May 17.
With some inside post relief for the Lombart homebred's second seasonal start, MVPs Daughter and driver Francis Picard went to the front, pocketing male stakes star Mass Speed (Denis St. Pierre) in the first turn, then circled the Trois-Rivières oval with a commanding lead while clocking opening panels of :29 and :59.2. Meanwhile, Greenleaf (Steven Gagnon) was parked from the start and worked his way forward, taking a brief two-hole tuck through turn three before pressing on down the backstretch to challenge MVPs Daughter to three-quarters in 1:29.4. However, MVPs Daughter appeared unfazed on the front end and shook off that challenger turning for home. She trotted clear through the lane to score by a widening 2-3/4 lengths in 2:00.2 while Mass Speed regained second in his season's debut and Greenleaf faded to third.
After getting an overland trip in the 3R meet's initial Preferred last Sunday and finishing sixth behind winner Yes (who was an Also Eligible this time), MVPs Daughter was overlooked in the betting and returned $31.90 to win as the 14-1 fifth pick on the tote board.
MVPs Daughter, a daughter of My MVP-Promising Lavec who won the Series Quebecoises Championship for older mares last summer, now has nine career wins from 45 starts and $92,627 in purse earnings.
Picard was the only driver to make multiple trips to the winner's circle during the afternoon's 11-race card, winning two more times.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(Standardbred Canada)