Before coming to the Hippodrome 3R back on June 20, three-year-old trotting filly HP Run Like Mom was winless in seven starts, never even finishing in the top three.
The daughter of Kadabra then moved into the barn of trainer Jean Tourigny for breeder Claude Hamel, who co-owns HP Run Like Mom with Michel Damphousse, and the switch to racing at H3R has resulted with five straight wins.
Tuesday evening was the third and final preliminary round of the Breeders Cup Series for three-year-old filly and colt trotters. There were three divisions, all non-wagering races due to short fields.
HP Run Like Mom was in the first non-wagering division and driver Stephane Brosseau wasted no time going right to the lead and holding the field at bay by five lengths at the opening quarter mile in :29.4.
Then HP Run Like Mom switched into high gear, pulling away from the field to lead by ten lengths at the half mile in :59.3, then 24 lengths at the three-quarters in 1:29.3 and cruised home to win by the length of the stretch, 25 and one-half lengths in a lifetime best clocking of 1:59.4.
Lindas Jewell (Mario Lachance) was a distance second with Southern Queen (Mario Charron) third. The time of the race was just two fifths of a second from tying the track record for three-year-old trotting fillies.
“She (HP Run Like Mom) was a normal filly as a youngster,” Claude Hamel said. “As a yearling, she gave us a fright with a shoulder injury but that healed up well.
“So, we then we sent her as a two-year-old to Toronto to Benoit Baillargeon to train since she was eligible for the stakes there,” Hamel explained. “Benoit considered her to be special, but she only qualified once at age two and we were disappointed. Then at age three, she showed some speed on occasion, one mile in 1:58.4, the last quarter in :28.4, but still not good. It was then that Benoit advised us to bring her back to Quebec and that was the right decision.
“Jean (Tourigny) took her on and the results have been instantaneous,” Hamel said. “Five straight wins, new record of 1:59.4. I think now we will consider sending her to a few stakes in Ontario while we wait for the final here on September 3.”
The second non-wagering division for colts saw Capteur De Reve post his first win of the 2017 season for driver Pierre Luc Roy with a hard-fought victory over undefeated Kinnder Dangerous (Justin Filion) in 1:59.4.
It was Bastiano and driver Stephane Gendron going to the early lead with Kinnder Dangerous sitting the pocket trip through a :29.3 first quarter and then backed it down to the half mile in 1:01. That forced driver Pierre Luc Roy to come first-over with Capteur De Reve, who collared Bastiano by the three-quarters in 1:30.4 with Filion then moving three-wide on the final turn with Kinnder Dangerous. All three-horses then made it a dash to the wire with Capteur De Reve the strong horse, winning by a neck over Kinnder Dangerous with Bastiano third.
Sired by Muscle Mass, Capteur De Reve was the series champion last year. He is trained by Maxime Velaye for the Provoquante Stable of Mirabel, who also bred the colt.
In the second filly division, it was the team of driver Pierre Luc Roy and trainer Maxime Velaye returning to the winner’s circle, this time with Affirmee.
Affirmee shot out to the early lead with Taurus P V (Jocelyn Gendron) following right on their heels as those two horses pulled away from the field by 15 lengths at the opening quarter mile in :29.2. They raced that way past the half-mile and the three-quarters with Affirmee pulling away at the finish to win by five open lengths in 2:04.1. Taurus V P was second with Magestic M (Kevin Maguire) third.
It was the second straight win for Affirmee, a daughter of Angus Hall, who was also bred and is owned by the Provoquante Stable.
The opening round of the C$220,000 Future Stars Series for two-year-old trotting fillies and colts got underway Tuesday.
In the first division for fillies, it was Precieuse CC and trainer/driver Claude Beausoleil coming first-over against pacesetter Luckys Dream (Jerome Lombart), taking command at the three-quarters and winning by two lengths in 2:06 over race favourite Magic Lady (Yves Filion) with Justice Rules (Stephane Brosseau) third.
It was the maiden victory for Precieuse CC, a filly by Angus Hall, owned by Marie Andree Cournoyer of Chicoutimi. She paid $20.80 to win.
Owner, trainer and driver Rosaire Renaud of Mirabel at age 76, made his first drive of the 2017 a winning one with a big upset score in the colt division with Y A Muscle Mass.
Leading from start to finish, Renaud and Y A Muscle Mass were able to hold off SG Goliath King (Sylvain Grenier) by three-quarters of a length to win in 2:09.4. Yankee Photo (Pascal Berube) was third.
Sired by Muscle Mass, Y A Muscle Mass was overlooked by the bettors and went off at odds of 22-1, paying $46.20 to win.
Track Notes: Driver Stephane Brosseau was the top driver of the night, winning four races on the program. It is the first time he has achieved that feat this season. Brosseau widened his lead in the driving standings over Stephane Gendron, 29 to 24. Four Starz Speed, the “old man” of the field in the Invitational Trot Tuesday, showed his heels to his younger rivals, leading from start to finish for driver/trainer Kevin Maguire in 1:59.4, paying $8.70 to win.
Live racing resumes at H3R on Sunday afternoon, first race post time at 12:30 pm. Featured will be the opening round of the C$220,000 Future Stars Series for two-year-old pacing colts and fillies.
For results, click the following link: Tuesday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(with files from the Quebec Jockey Club)