SOS Revange kept her unbeaten streak intact in 2016, posting her third straight win with a decisive victory in the second round of the $120,000 Quebec-Bred Series at Hippodrome 3R on Tuesday evening.
A four-year-old mare by Kadabra, SOS Revange and driver Gaetan Lamy started from the rail in the seventh race feature for four and five-year-old trotting mares, but the inside post position had little bearing on the way she raced.
The contest got underway with 21-1 Kim Sorel (Martin Gingras) shooting to the lead with SOS Striking Monte (Mario Charron) grabbing the two-hole spot to the opening quarter in a speedy :28.1.
There was no real movement until the half mile marker in :58.2 when National Trace (Stephane Brosseau) started up first-over. The action then took place as the field entered the backstretch the final time.
Just as Charron eased SOS Striking Monte from the two-hole to challenge Kim Sorel, Gaetan Lamy, who was in seventh place along the rail, found clearance, swept to the outside and started up three-wide down the backstretch with brilliant speed.
Meanwhile, after the three-quarters in 1:28.4, Charron and SOS Striking Monte had not yet cleared by a stubborn Kim Sorel, but it was Lamy and SOS Revange who kept the momentum going three-wide around the final turn, collaring SOS Striking Monte as they started down the stretch and wining by one length in 1:59.2. Kim Sorel held for third.
It was a lifetime mark for SOS Revange, who is trained by Jean Tourigny and was bred and is now owned by Claude Hamel of Ayer's Cliff, Michel Damphousse of Louiseville and Jean Claude Vinette of St-Didace, Que. She paid $5.20 to win.
The Quebec-bred horses did battle in their division as a non-wagering race with just three starters. Seeyou Men and driver Robert Shepherd went right to the lead with Promesses Imperial (Jerome Lombart) sitting right on their back as Met The Boss (Stephen Charlton) went off stride at the start.
Cutting fractions of :30.2, 1:01.2 and 1:31.3, Seeyou Men could not seem to shake Promesses Imperial off his back. Then in a torrid stretch drive, Lombart came after Shepherd and Seeyou Men was barely able to hold off Promesses Imperial to the wire, winning by a head in 2:01.1.
It was the second win in five starts this year for track record holder Seeyou Men. The four-year-old gelded son of Muscle Mass is trained by Isabelle Darveau for co-owners Catheline Pelletier of Mirabel and breeder Chantal Gravel of St-Cyrille-De-Wendover, QC.
To view the results from Tuesday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Tuesday Results - Hippodrome 3R
This Sunday, June 5, 3R will host its first All-Star Drivers Challenge featuring many of the top drivers in the world coming to Trois-Rivieres. Hall of Famer John Campbell, Tim Tetrick, Yannick Gingras, Daniel Dube, Jody Jamieson, Sylvain Filion and 3R leading drivers from 2015, Denis St. Pierre and Mario Charron. They will all compete in eight tournament races with $10,000 in prize money.
All of the drivers will be at a meet and greet with race fans starting at 12:15 pm in the clubhouse area.
(with files from Quebec Jockey Club)