Trotters took their turn in the Series Quebecoises at Hippodrome 3R on Friday, June 13, with Jean-Francois Maguire trainees sweeping the male divisions.
Royalty Beer (pictured above), who set the trotting track record of 1:54 in his last 3R appearance last September, returned with another blowout victory for Maguire. Reunited with driver Pascal Berube, the six-year-old Royalty For Life-Beer Maggs gelding led a field of five through fractions of :29.1, :59.2 and 1:28 before drawing off by six lengths to win the fastest division in 1:57.2. Frido PV (Marie-Claude Auger) and Thats Hooligan (William Roy) rounded out the top three.
A 10-time winner in 17 starts this year, Royalty Beer lifted his seasonal earnings to $72,390 with the lion's share of the $6,000 purse. Owned by his trainer along with his breeder, Ecuries Maguire Inc. of Sainte-Marie, Que., he now boasts 28 career wins and is closing in on the $400,000 earnings plateau.
Sent postward as the overwhelming 1-9 favourite off a Preferred victory at Western Fair Raceway on May 26, Royalty Beer paid $2.10 to win.
The other male trot was won by Maguire trainee Paradise Moni, who gapped in third position early on but overtook 4-5 popular pacesetter Kenogami Coco (Robert Shepherd) at three-quarters in 1:30.2 and crossed the wire one length clear of that game rival in 1:59.2 with Denis St. Pierre catch-driving. Timonier (Jocelyn Gendron) finished back in third.
Also owned by Maguire and Ecuries Maguire Inc., the four-year-old gelding by International Moni out of Jessies Song earned his third win of the season from 15 starts. He's more than doubled his career bankroll this year, with earnings climbing to $55,266.
Paradise Moni paid $7.30 to win as the 5-2 third choice.
Trainer/driver Marie-Claude Auger's homebred Sensi Amnesia dominated the lone $6,000 mares division, leading through fractions of :29.1, 1:00.2 and 1:30.1 en route to her second straight victory timed in 1:59.4. She fended off a first-over challenge from eventual runner-up Cleomax Duharas (Loic Gueriel) turning for home to win by 1-1/2 lengths. MVPs Daughter (Robert Shepherd) was third.
After starting his four-year-old campaign competing at Rideau Carleton Raceway, the Muscle Mass-Torches Angel mare returned to 3R, where she has posted back-to-back victories just one-fifth of a second of her lifetime mark. The series score was her sixth career victory in 25 starts and lifted her bankroll to $60,210.
Sensi Amnesia paid $3.70 to win as the 4-5 bettors' choice.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(Standardbred Canada)