The Hippodrome 3R and the Quebec Jockey Club hosted three divisions of the third leg of the Quebec-Bred Series for three-year-old pacers Sunday with Sugarsam and driver Denis St Pierre stealing the show.
The colts did battle in the sixth race co-feature with nine starters in the field.
Mach On The Beach started off going to the early lead for Pascal Berube, but by the opening quarter-mile in :28.3, Sugarsam with St Pierre and HP Rayan Art Jules (Francis Picard) both pulled to the outside to take the lead.
But Sugarsam could not overtake Mach On The Beach while HP Rayan Art Jules dropped into third behind Mach On The Beach as they went to the half-mile marker in :58.1.
Then in the backstretch, Sugarsam held game on the outside, head and head with the determined Mach On The Beach and those two pulled away from the field, still racing as a team, through the three-quarters in 1:26.1 and neither of them giving an inch.
As they started down the stretch, Sugarsam was the strong horse and he pulled away for a one and one-half lengths in 1:55. Mach On The Beach was second with Antar Phil (Gaetan Lamy) third.
The win was just the second this season for the gelded son of Sportswriter, who is trained by Helene Fillion for owner/breeder Sotirios Anastasopoulos of Sainte-Therese, Que. Sugarsam paid $13.10 to win.
St Pierre led all drivers Sunday with three wins.
There is a classic match-up brewing in the Quebec-Bred Series for three-year-old pacing fillies as on Sunday both Wanda Bayama and Voodoo Charm were both impressive winners.
Voodoo Charm was first up in the first race division for driver Mario Charron and the daughter of Ponder was able to cruise from start to finish for an easy four and one-quarter length triumph in 1:58.4.
HP Rubis Joyce (Louis Philippe Roy) tried a first-over challenge, but could not collar the race winner in finishing second. No Panic (Gaetan Lamy) was third.
The win was the third in a row for Voodoo Charm, who is trained by Maxime Velaye for owners Yvan Mondoux, Guy Corbeil, Alexandre Morin and Francois Laverdiere. She paid just $2.20 to win.
Not to be outdone by Voodoo Charm, Wanda Bayama and trainer/driver Yves Filion put on a show in the third race, second division of the series.
It was Big Bertha and driver Mario Charron who shot out to the early lead with Kinnder Elegance (Justin Filion) grabbing the pocket seat to the opening quarter mile in :28.4.
But that fast opening fraction was nothing for Wanda Bayama, as Filion had already put her on the outside and they took over the lead right after the quarter and then held the field at bay through fractions of :59.1 and 1:29.
Then Charron came on the outside with Big Bertha and went after Filion and Wanda Bayama down the stretch but to no avail as Wanda Bayama went on to win by one and three-quarter lengths in 1:58. Godiva Bella Oya (Louis Philippe Roy) was third.
Sired by Western Ideal, Wanda Bayama earned her third win this year while making her first start in the series. She is a homebred, owned and bred by Bayama Farms Inc. of Saint-Andre-D'Argenteuil, Que. Wanda Bayama paid only $2.30 to win.
Coming up on Wednesday at the Hippodrome 3R is the third preliminary round of the Quebec-Bred Series for three-year-old trotters, featuring the unbeaten Intouchable.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday's Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from QJC)