Twin B Powerball made his Quebec debut a winning one in the Preferred Pace at Hippodrome 3R on Sunday afternoon, June 30.
In the $5,000 top class, 6-5 favourite Thong Control (Marie-Claude Auger) made a costly break on the move in the backstretch and was out of contention. That left Twin B Powerball and trainer/driver David Pilon, the 2-1 second choice, all alone on the front end with Celia Bayama (Stephane Brosseau) sitting second. Twin B Powerball motored on through fractions of :28.2, :58.4 and 1:27.4 to win with ease by 4-1/2 lengths in 1:56 flat. Celia Bayama held for second with Bettor Half (Denis St. Pierre) holding third.
Twin B Powerball, who had been racing from Ontario and was coming off a two-month layoff, notched his third win of the season from 15 starts and his 12th victory lifetime, pushing his earnings to $132,805 for owners Ecurie Francis Richard Inc., and Gaston Bibeau. A $2 win ticket on the six-year-old Bettors Delight-Power Nap gelding paid $6.40.
The very impressive sophomore Ambitious Mind was used twice in a $7,000 pace for Quebec-bred three-year-olds before winning in a romp.
D Gs Lorijeanne (Jonathan Lachance) went right to the lead from the rail with Gold Nugget (William Roy) leaving from post seven and then dropping into the two-hole spot to the first quarter in :27.4. Driver Francis Picard then went first-over with the overhelming 1-9 favourite, Ambitious Mind, to try and take the lead away from D Gs Lorijeanne and then they dropped into the two-hole spot after the half-mile marker in :57.4. As the field entered the backstretch, Ronda Du Lac (Pierre-Luc Roy) started up first-over, but then Picard came back out with Ambitious Mind and went after D Gs Lorijeanne, passing that foe at the three-quarters in 1:27.4. Then as if shot out of a cannon, Ambitious Mind tore away from the field and opened up in the stretch, winning in a romp by 4-3/4 lengths in 1:58.3. Ronda Du Lac was second with D Gs Lorijeanne third.
The win was the second in a row for five-time seasonal starter Ambitious Mind, who is trained by Dominique Picard and was bred by Francis Picard. The Big Jim-Rainbow Palace gelding is owned by Severine Picard, Martin Bilodeau and Claude Thibault, all of Que. He paid just $2.20 to win.
Driver Stephane Brosseau was at his best on Sunday as he scored four wins on the afternoon, the first time he has done it this season.
Delco Dynamo and trainer/driver Michel Audet scored the highest win price of the season at 3R on Sunday, winning the seventh race pace in 1:56 and paying $89 to win, $82.20 to place and $19.50 to show.
Live racing resumes next Friday, July 5 at 4 p.m. with the National Driving Championship, presented by Standardbred Canada, taking place to determine who will represent Canada in the 2025 World Driving Championship in New Zealand. The nine drivers competing will include Quebec representatives Stephane Brosseau and Robert Shepherd taking on defending champion Doug McNair along with Tyler Borth, Redmond Doucet, David Dowling, Phil Giesbrecht, Mike Hennessey and James MacDonald.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)