Last year’s Quebec-bred champion filly trotter, Sensi Amnesia, kicked off her sophomore stakes season at Hippodrome 3R in fine fashion, winning in a romp in the opening round of the Breeders Trophy Series on Friday, July 12.
There were three divisions of the series for three-year-old Quebec-bred colt and filly trotters.
The lone division for fillies was the fifth race with a purse of $10,000. And the race belonged to Sensi Amnesia and trainer/driver Marie-Claude Auger pretty much from the start.
Last year’s winner of the $55,000 Future Stars Series final, Sensi Amnesia was sent out after the lead from post five by Auger and they took it away from All She Wrote (Jocelyn Gendron) by the opening quarter-mile in :29.4.
Sensi Amnesia held the field at bay, cruising by the half-mile in :59.2, up seven lengths, and the three-quarters in 1:29.1, up by nine lengths. The heavy favourite ended up crushing the field by seven open lengths in the end, winning in a new lifetime mark of 1:59.3. MVPs Daughter (Jerome Lombart) and HP Agathe (Pascal Berube) rounded out the top three finishers.
Sensi Amnesia earned her second win this season from seven starts and her third career victory. The Muscle Mass-Torches Angel filly was bred by Auger, who shares ownership with Catheline Pelletier. Sensi Amnesia paid just $2.10 to win.
In the $7,500 first division of the Breeders Trophy Series for the colts, Auger pulled off a classic move in the backstretch with race favourite Captain PV and then tore away from the field for an easy victory.
The race began with Last Try (Lombart) going right to the early lead and forcing Captain PV to take a tuck into the two-hole as they sped to the opening quarter in :29.3. Meanwhile, Wild Dream Men (Guy Gagnon), who broke before the start and was last, regrouped and went first-over. They caught the field as Last Try led to the half-mile in 1:01.1.
Once the trotters straightened out in the backstretch, Wild Dream Men started gaining on the outside. Auger backed out of the two-hole with Captain PV and swung three-wide then went right by Wild Dream Men and Just Try at the three-quarters in 1:31.4.
Captain PV and Auger pulled away from the field in the stretch and won by 7-3/4 lengths in 2:00.3. Wild Dream Men was second with Spin For Life (Robert Shepherd) third.
Captain PV has now earned three (consecutive) wins from six seasonal starts for trainer Serge Nadeau and co-owner Ecuries Y Corriveau Inc. The Wheeling N Dealin-Dolly P V colt paid $2.90 to win.
In the second division for the colts, Bandura (Auger) shot to the early lead and was up by six lengths at the opening quarter in :30.3. Already on the move overland from the start, Paradise Moni and driver Pascal Berube started marching up to tangle with Bandura to the half-mile mark in 1:02.2 and the three-quarters in 1:32 with neither horse backing off.
Taking the lead on the final turn, Paradise Moni then had to dig in and hold off the late charge of Drinklikehenry (William Roy) to win by one length in 2:02. Hercules (Stephane Brosseau) finished third.
The win was the third of the season in seven starts for Paradise Moni, an International Moni-Jessies Song colt trained by Mario Grimard for Ecuries Maguire Inc. He paid $5.60 to win as the second favourite.
In this week's $6,500 Preferred Handicap Trot, Quebec newcomer Rose Run Why Not and driver William Roy, at odds of 10-1, swept three-wide and shot past the field to draw off and win by 4-3/4 lengths in 1:58.4. The six-year-old Uncle Peter-Loconotion mare, who has won six of her 20 starts this year, currently races for trainer Carl Duguay and co-owner Investissement K F B. Only For Justic (Francis Picard) and Frido PV (Berube) were second and third.
In other action, Chic Choc Rose, Sensi Amnesia's little sister by Royalty For Life, won her career debut for Auger in 2:07.1.
Live harness racing resumes at 3R on Sunday, July 14 with a 10-race program starting at 12 noon featuring the opening round of the Breeders Trophy Series for three-year-old colt and filly pacers. There are four divisions, two each for colts and fillies, plus a well-matched field in the 10th race Preferred Handicap Pace. For free race programs, visit hippodrome3r.ca.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)