La Petite Grise in French means "The Little Grey" and the beautiful little grey mare was a terror on the racetrack Sunday (June 5) at Hippodrome 3R, winning the Mares Preferred 2 & 3 Handicap Pace in a romp.
The $6,000 third race feature started off with Sieras Rose (Steeven Genois) scooting to the lead with Platine Alpha (Kiwon Waldron) getting the two-hole seat and La Petite Grise with driver Pascal Berube on the outside and moving up. They went by the quarter in :28.3.
Le Petite Grise cleared to the lead and was in command heading to the half-mile as Waldron moved first-over with Platine Alpha and Whitemountaincammy (Stephane Brosseau) followed second-over. The half-mile was passed in :59.1.
Down the backstretch, Waldron was able to keep Platine Alpha moving up slowly against La Petite Grise to the three-quarters in 1:28.1.
That’s when Berube let La Petite Grise have her head and she started pulling away from the field and went on to win by four open lengths in 1:57. Platine Alpha was second with Whitemountaincammy third.
La Petite Grise, a four-year-old grey mare by Sportswriter, recorded the third win of her last four starts. She is trained by Fernand Jodoin, who co-owns the mare with Michel Letendre.
Sent off as the overwhelming 1-9 favourite, she paid just $2.30 to win.
The seventh race $6,500 Preferred 2 Pace started out on a sour note with Blue Moose a late scratch taking the field down to just four horses. But what a finish it was!
Spectrum Seelster and Francis Picard shot right out to the early lead with Mickeymaksomespeed (Kiwon Waldron) sitting second to the first quarter in :27.3.
Picard was able to back down the pace with Spectrum Seelster to the half-mile in :57.4. Then it was D Gs De Vito and driver Jonathan Lachance going first-over with Goldinthebadlands (Stephane Brosseau) second-over to the three-quarters in 1:27.
In a torrid stretch drive, D Gs De Vito had collared Spectrum Seelster and was on his way to win the race when Picard asked his horse for a little more and Spectrum Seelster surged back to win by a neck in 1:56. Goldinthebadlands finished 1-1/2 lengths behind in third.
A six-year-old gelding by Mach Three, Spectrum Seelster notched his third win from his last five starts at H3R. He is trained by Charles Gaudreault, who co-owns with Daniel and Maxim Gaudreault.
Spectrum Seelster paid $5.30 to win.
Windsun Cheyenne ($7.70) became the winningest horse at H3R this season, scoring his fourth win at the track with a first-over-grind-it-out head victory in 1:57.1 in the sixth race pace. The 12-year-old Cams Card Shark gelding was driven by Pascal Berube for trainer/owner Gina Gragagnolo.
Track Notes: Stephanie Brosseau led all drivers with a triple on Sunday. Both Francis Picard and Pascal Berube had driving doubles. Live racing resumes at H3R next Friday, June 10 at 4 p.m.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)