On Sunday at Hippodrome 3R, the Marie Claude Auger-driven and Emile Auger-trained Sans Frontiere lowered a track record by pacing a one and one-sixteenth mile race in 2:04.3.
There have now been five track records either tied or set this season at Hippodrome 3R after just 11 race programs.
In victory, Sans Frontiere ended the five-race winning streak of former track record holder The Platinum Guy in the process.
The Platinum Guy had started off the season at Hippodrome 3R, setting the track mark at 2:04.4 back on May 20 for driver Stephen Gendron. The record was then tied last week by Adkins Hanover and has now been rewritten by one-fifth of a second by Sans Frontiere in 2:04.3.
It was Pan Larceny and driver Pierre Luc Roy who were first on the lead, but they were pressured right away on the outside by Thebestofme and driver Mario Charron as they sped to the opening quarter mile in a quick :27.4.
Once settled on the lead, Thebestofme led the field past the half mile marker in :58.4 before Niceandup (driven by Steven Genios) started up first-over and gave outside cover to Sans Frontiere. They raced that way through the three-quarters in 1:28.
Then Auger sent Sans Frontiere to the lead by the top of the stretch with race favourite The Platinum Guy and driver Denis St Pierre hot on their heels, but they could not catch Sans Frontiere as they went on to win by one length. Thebestofme was third.
It was just the second start this year and first win for Sans Frontiere. The seven-year-old mare by House Of Fun was bred and is owned by local resident Denis Auger of Trois-Rivieres. She paid $7.70 to Win.
The track’s first two-year-old pari-mutuel race of the year took place in Race 1. Five trotters headed to post for the tilt.
William Star, a colt by Windsong Espoir, led at the start for owner/trainer/driver Jean Francois Maguire through the opening quarter in :32.1 and the half in 1:05.2. Then the pocket-sitting Flexible and owner/trainer/driver Sylvain Fontaine pulled the pocket and took the lead on the outside before the three-quarters in 1:37.
They led until the top of the stretch when Maguire came back with William Star and fought off the late charge of Promesses Imperial (Jerome Lombart) to win by a neck in 2:08.
William Star paid $10.80 to Win.
Live racing resumes at Hippodrome 3R on Tuesday and featured will be one of the most exciting race cards of the season with the Quebec / Eastern Ontario Regional Driving Championships.
In the competition are leading reinsman Pascal Berube, Gord Brown, Mario Charron, Guy Gagnon, Jocelyn Gendron, Stephane Gendron, Sylvain Lacaille and Denis St Pierre.
They will compete in eight races on the program and the top two finishers, based on points, will go on to compete in the National Driving Championship on August 26 at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at Charlottetown Driving Park.
(With files from the Quebec Jockey Club)