Ciel Bleu journeyed first-over for driver Stephane Brosseau to score in impressive fashion in the $5,000 Preferred Trot on Friday, June 28 at Hippodrome 3R.
Vitor (Steven Gagnon) shot right to the lead from the outside post but was looped by 4-5 favourite Orlys Pride (Robert Shepherd) by the opening quarter mark in :29.1. Ciel Beau then went first-over from fifth with entrymate El Bleu (Simon Delisle) following the cover from the back as Orlys Pride took the field past the half-mile in 1:00. Ciel Bleu took over the lead as they raced by three-quarters in 1:30.3 then drew off by 3-1/4 lengths to win in 2:00.4. Cleveland Moneyka (Pascal Berube) closed for second and Orlys Pride finished third with El Bleu fourth.
The victory was the first in five starts this year for Ciel Bleu, now a career winner of a dozen races. The six-year-old Muscle Mass gelding is trained by Maxime Velaye for owner/breeder Ecuries Provoquante of Mirabel, Que. He paid $4.20 to win.
Three-year-old trotting colt Captain PV was victorious in a $7,000 trot for Quebec-breds with Marie-Claude Auger working out the winning front-end trip. The race was for colts that were non-winners of $30,000 and fillies that were non-winners of $35,000.
Longshot Last Try (Sylvain Lacaille) took command early with even-money favourite Captain PV right on his back while the rest of the field lagged the front pair who traded turns on top approaching the :29.3 opening quarter mark. Once Captain PV looped to the lead, he cruised through middle splits of 1:00.3 and 1:30.3 while a first-up Hercules (Stephane Brosseau) went off stride. That left Captain PV all alone on the lead down the stretch and he won by 1-1/4 lengths in 2:00.3 with Last Try following in second. Drinklikehenry (William Roy) finished back in third.
Last year, Captain PV failed to finish in the top three in five races, but has returned in winning form at age three having posted two straight victories in five sophomore starts. The Wheeling N Dealin colt is co-owned by trainer Serge Nadeau with Ecuries Y Corriveau Inc. of Quebec City. He paid $4.30 to win.
Sabrina Lord Bedard made her career training debut a winning one on Friday as the 18-year-old from Trois-Rivieres, Que. sent out her 10-year-old mare Chickie Love for a 33-1 upset in the second race. Chickie Love was the longest shot on the board in the $3,200 conditioned pace after going winless in 26 starts last year and her first five this season. Robert Shepherd sent the rare free-legged pacer right to the front and the daughter of Badlands Hanover led all the way, winning in 1:59 and paying $69.20 for the upset. Reaganomics (Sylvain Fontaine) finished second at 18-1 to complete a $2 exacta worth $992.80.
Both Brosseau and Auger scored driving doubles and Marc Belanger had a training double on the nine-race card.
Live harness racing resumes at 3R on Sunday with first race post time at 12 noon. The card features Preferred pacers and a $7,000 Quebec-Bred three-year-old pace headed by 2023 Lucien Bombardier Pace winner Ronda Du Lac with Dan Speed and D Gs Lorijeanne among the top contenders.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)