Castellano and Kinder Trouble became the first two-year-old winners of the year in Quebec-bred stakes competition as each took a $7,500 division of the Coupe de l’Avenir first preliminary for rookie trotters on Thursday, July 23 at Hippodrome 3R.
Both maidens entering their respective contests, Castellano came away with the faster initial mark with a 2:03.3 score in the second split. The Muscle Mass-Hawaiian Sweetie gelding was fourth off the car and stayed wide behind Sexy Raoul (Marie-Claude Auger) heading for the first turn, then was left uncovered as that rival took command when early leader Jp Leclipse (Jean-Paul Rousse) broke stride. Denis St. Pierre kept Castellano on the march to make front passing a :31.2 opening panel and dropped the tempo to the half in 1:03.1. Leading a spread-out seven-horse field, Castellano stretched his edge to five lengths at three-quarters in 1:33.4, came back to the chasing Sexy Raoul on the last turn, then fired clear again to prevail by 5-1/4 lengths. Dm Melodie (Pascal Berube) took the show spot. Castellano, a homebred for Marc Kirouac of Sherbrooke, Que., is trained by Jean-Francois Maguire. He paid $2.70 to win.
Kinder Trouble had a tight grip on the field from pillar to post as she took the first split by 2-1/2 lengths for trainer-driver Guy Gagnon. She sprinted away from post four, crossed over to the cones, and completed the quarter in :32 on a loose lead. Chapter For Speed (David Pilon) charged first-up from fourth entering the second turn and engaged the leader briefly approaching the half in 1:03.4 but dropped into the two-hole. Kinder Trouble pulled ahead to three-quarters in 1:34.3 and motored home to score in 2:05. Chapter For Speed finished second, with Smoking Lady (Kevin Maguire) well back in third. Kinder Trouble took her first victory in her third start after two top-three finishes in the Prospect Series. The daughter of Muscle Mass-Kinderunbelievable is owned by Gestion Louis Latulippe Inc. of Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que. and G T Stables of Saint-Placide, Que. She returned $4.20 at the mutuels.
To view Thursday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Thursday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(Standardbred Canada; photo of Castellano winning on July 23)