Ask any harness racing trainer what is the most difficult type of Standardbred to train and they will tell you that it’s trotting fillies and mares.
Owner/trainer Carl Duguay of Deschambault knows this all so well and is very appreciative of his mare, Y S Suzanne, who will look for her fifth straight win Tuesday evening in the third leg of the Quebec-Bred Series for four and five-year-old mares and horses at the Hippodrome 3R.
The daughter of Angus Hall is off to her best season ever for Duguay and currently sports six wins this season and over $104,000 in career earnings. She will start from Post 2 in the third race Tuesday for driver Stephane Gendron.
“I try and keep her relaxed as much as possible,” Duguay said about Y S Suzanne’s weekly training schedule. “She goes out to jog every day, time in the paddock, just want her to be at ease.”
Carl Duguay and Y S Suzanne (thephotodesk.ca)
Before coming home to Quebec, Y S Suzanne was racing at Saratoga Raceway’s half mile oval in New York. The last two years Duguay has given his mare to trainer Heidi Rohr, who has also done well with her.
“Heidi does a super job with my mare,” Duguay said. “When Heidi sent her back to Quebec for this series she told me about some changes she did in training her and it has really helped.”
Last week was the first time since her first win this season that any horse has gotten within less than a length of Y S Suzanne at the finish. She won last week by three-quarters of a length in 2:01.1, her slowest winning time this year.
“She was in heat last week,” Duguay explained. “She was not at her best. She has been feeling much better this week and I think she will race much better tomorrow.”
Y S Suzanne shows that she can win from both on the off the pace. The last two weeks she led from start to finish. The prior weeks she had good cover and won with ease from off the helmet. Last week regular pilot Stephane Gendron, scored his 4,000th career win with Y S Suzanne.
“This mare loves during the race to be held on the bit,” Duguay explained. “As long as you never give her her head, she will always race strong. She likes it best to follow another horse.”
Y S Suzanne was nearly caught last week by Artemis Duharas, who closed well from sixth place on the final turn to be second. She will start again for driver Raymond Gingras from Post 7. Another contender in the race is Y A Jailhouse Jody from Post 3 for driver Guy Gagnon. She was second to Y S Suzanne two starts back in the Quebec-Bred Series.
The horses do battle in a non-wagering division of the series with just four starters going to post between the fourth and fifth races on Tuesday’s program. Missing from the lineup is the entry from trainer Isabelle Darveau stable of track record holder Wildwild Men and his full brother, Seeyou Men, both of whom were Quebec-Bred champions in prior years.
“We only planned to race them in the first two legs,” Darveau explained. “That was good enough for them to make the final. They are fine and will be rested up now.”
With Wildwild Men, who won the opening round of the series, and Seeyou Men out this week, it opens the door for last week’s winner, Holiday Party, to battle with KFB Amigo Cool.
In his first start back at H3R, Holiday Party, who last year won nine times and was the Quebec-Bred Series Champion at age three, made a rare and costly break at the start. He then put it all together last week in defeating Wildwild Men and KFB Amigo Cool with a 1:59.1 triumph.
He will start from Post 2 for driver Pascal Berube against KFB Amigo Cool, who will start from Post 4 for driver Stephane Brosseau. First, second and third in his four starts this year, KFM Amigo Cool has been close to the action every start.
Also entered are Holiday Gift (Post 1) and McGarreth (Post 3), who have not been very competitive in the series.
One thing is guaranteed in the non-wagering race, and that is the winner trainer’s last name will be Fontaine. Both Holiday Party and KFB Amigo Cool are trained by Dany Fontaine while Holiday Gift and McGarreth are trained by Michel Fontaine.
After Tuesday’s third preliminary round of the Quebec-Bred Series, the top eight point earners will return on Sunday, June 25 for their respective $30,000 finals.
Post time Tuesday evening is 7:00 p.m.
To view the harness racing entries for Saturday at the CDP, click the following link: Tuesday Entries – Hippodrome 3R.
(QJC)