Light The Torch showed why co-owner and trainer Marc-Andre Simoneau has kept him eligible to the $200,000 Prix d’Ete at Hippodrome 3R in August, as the four-year-old pacer scored the fastest win of the young season in Quebec on Sunday, June 16.
Competing in the ninth race, $6,500 Preferred Handicap Pace on Sunday afternoon, Light The Torch and driver Pascal Berube took the early lead away from Uncontrollable (Marie-Claude Auger) by the first quarter in :28.1.
Light The Torch then cut fractions of :57.2 for the half-mile and 1:26.1 to the three-quarters as Auger pulled the pocket with Uncontrollable and went after Light The Torch as they raced as a team around the final turn.
At the top of the stretch, Berube just lifted the lines at Light The Torch and the Always B Miki gelding scooted away from Uncontrollable to win with ease by two lengths in 1:54.2. Uncontrollable held for second with Acapulco Sunburn (Francis Picard) third.
Light The Torch notched his fifth win of the season from 11 starts for Simoneau and co-owner Jean Fontaine. The locally owned pacer, who won his last 3R start in November 2023, has been competing in the Preferred ranks at Rideau Carleton Raceway most recently. He paid $2.50 to win.
In the third race, $5,000 Preferred II Pace, driver Jessica Turenne made a bold rush with Doc Houston to take the lead after the half-mile and then held off Sports Better (Denis St. Pierre) in deep stretch for the victory.
St. Pierre sent Sports Bettor to the early lead over Latte Seelster (Marie-Claude Auger) to the opening quarter in :28.3. The race favourite, Brodys Scrapper (Pascal Berube), was already on the move and took command heading to the half-mile in :59.2.
Doc Houston was following second-over and he blasted to the front heading into the backstretch. Sports Bettor also was on the move and sat second to Doc Houston as those two started to pull away at the three-quarters in 1:28.2.
In a torrid stretch drive, Doc Houston was able to hold off Sports Bettor to win by half a length in 1:56.4. Do You See It (Steven Gagnon) finished more than six lengths behind in third.
Doc Houston earned his third win of the season from 14 starts. The five-year-old Sportswriter gelding is owned and trained by Yannick Marquis. He returned $8.90 to win.
Louis Desrochers celebrated his first career driving win on Sunday when he moved Pey Bug first-over and took off by 7-1/4 lengths to defeat early leader Mad Pacha and Mario Dupont in 1:58.2 in one of the afternoon's $3,700 amateur races. The winning six-year-old gelding by Always A Virigin is trained by David Pilon and owned by Olivier Pellerin. He paid $5.10 to his backers at the betting windows.
Desrochers had made 13 prior starts in the sulky over the last two years on the Quebec regional fair circuit before his maiden-breaking victory at 3R. The 20-year-old Warwick, Que. horseman also has three training wins to his credit courtesy of his own pacing mare Way Over.
Live harness racing resumes at 3R next Friday, June 21 at 4 p.m.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)