Three-year-old pacers took their turn in the opening leg of the Trophée des Éleveurs for Quebec-breds on Sunday, July 19 at Hippodrome 3R with undefeated Golddiamond a game winner in his stakes debut.
Four $7,500 divisions comprised the opening leg for the sophomore pacers, with two divisions for the colts and geldings and a pair for the fillies.
Off to a perfect start in his career, Golddiamond continued to shine while facing stakes competition for trainer/driver Stephane Brosseau, winning an action-packed division for the male sophomores in 1:57.1. Unraced as a two-year-old, the Cattlewash-Tymal Sugrbabydoll gelding has won his first six races for owners Robert Bergeron and Chantal Trepanier, both of Laval, Que.
The action started from the outset as Reve (Simon Deslisle) protected his pylon position in the first turn, landing the early lead ahead of Panic Ray (Denis St. Pierre) with the favoured defending champion, Bernard (William Roy), parked and pressing. As Bernard targeted the top spot, Brosseau made an early move with 7-5 second choice Golddiamond, sweeping up on that rival's back and then alongside as the bettors' choice cleared past the :28.2 quarter marker.
Hot on his heels, Golddiamond took over turning in front of the grandstand then Panic Ray came to challenge as they raced to the half in :57.1 and three-quarters in 1:27.2. Golddiamond fought off Panic Ray into the stretch for the stakes score by 1-1/2 lengths. Bernard, who went six-for-six as a rookie, tipped out on Panic Ray's cover in the final turn then ducked back inside in the stretch, just getting edged out for the runner-up honours.
Night Off held off the favoured Wicked Buddy Buck in the other colt division, prevailing by a head in 1:59.2 for the driving and training team of Francis and Dominique Picard.
Night Off crossed in front of Wicked Buddy Buck (Pascal Berube) off the gate and led a compact field of four through fractions of :28.4, :59.2 and 1:29.4 while keeping the parked-from-the-start Hunts Speed (Maxime Dinelle) at bay. Night Off, the 6-5 second choice, then fended off Wicked Buddy Buck in the stretch after that rival regained his footing from a miscue in the clubhouse turn and charged late up the inside to make it a photo finish. Hunts Speed was third.
Night Off has found success in half of his six sophomore starts after winning one of six as a two-year-old. The homebred colt by All Bets Off out of Rainbow Place is owned by his driver.
Defending filly champion Cattlekiss dominated her division, winning by more than half a dozen lengths in 1:57.1 with Marie-Claude Auger catch-driving for trainer/owner Guy Gagnon.
Cattlekiss avoided an early three-way battle for the lead through a :27.4 opening quarter before catching the top trio and sweeping to command in front of the grandstand after the first lap. The overwhelming 1-9 favourite hit the half in :58.3 and cleared by the clubhouse turn. It was game over for the rest of the field once Cattlekiss landed on top as she paced away to three-quarter in 1:27.3 and kept on going. Esmeralda Du Lac (Luc-Pierre Roy) finished second and Taylor Desbi (Pascal Berube) rounded out the top three.
Cattlekiss, a daughter of Cattlewash-Kiss Baby Kiss, earned her first victory of the season in her return to Hippodrome 3R, where she swept the Coupe de l'Avenir during a six-for-nine rookie campaign. The win in her eighth sophomore start lifted her lifetime bankroll to $82,525 for Ecuries Guy Gagnon Inc. of Gatineau, Que.
Victoria Ray won the other filly division in 1:57.2 by 15-1/2 lengths, benefitting from a quick-leaving move off the gate with the rest of the field scattered by a first-turn breaker.
Driven by Pascal Berube, Victoria Ray crossed to command from post four into the first turn and the 2-1 third choice didn't have to worry about any challengers after favourite Chezmatante Du Lac (Luc-Pierre Roy) broke stride at the inside and caused interference to the three other fillies in the race. Victoria Ray scooted away on the lead, setting fractions of :29.1, :58.2 and 1:28.1 en route to her first stakes win. Kenogami Delight (Stephane Brosseau) and Delicious Speed (Jessica Turrenne) tried to make up the lost ground after getting around the early commotion but were just too far out of it.
David Pilon trains the winning Sunshine Beach-Victoria Semalu filly for Mont-Joli, Que. owners Johanne Dechamplain and Steve Perreault. Victoria Ray is now two-for-three this year after a winless five-race rookie campaign.
The Trophée des Éleveurs and the Quebec-bred series for two-year-olds, the Coupe de l’Avenir, will run through August and conclude with the lucrative finals for both events on Sept. 13.
The former Coupe de l'Avenir and Trophée des Éleveurs champion Boomboom Tonight continued his perfect five-year-old season during Sunday afternoon's card, winning the $7,000 Preferred Handicap Pace in wire-to-wire fashion with Francis Picard in tow.
Despite being assigned the outside post eight, the 2-5 bettors' choice had no problem making the lead in a :27.4 first quarter and cruised through middle splits of :57.2 and 1:26.4 on his way to the 1:56.1 victory by 1-1/2 lengths. In a photo finish for the minor spoils, pocket-pursuer Thrilling Times (William Roy) finished second with an overland Doc Houston (Jessica Turenne) third ahead of late-closer Self Made (Stephane Brosseau).
Boomboom Tonight is now four-for-four this year after a successful start to the season in the Series Quebecoises for owner/trainer Elisabeth Pothier. The Sportswriter-Rapid Tonight gelding now boasts 14 career wins from 22 starts and $109,924 in purses.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(Standardbred Canada)