Bernard maintained perfection in his third career start as he won decisively in the first preliminary round of the Coupe de L’Avenir for two-year-old pacers on Sunday, July 27 at Hippodrome 3R.
As the 1-9 favourite, he took a brief tuck in the pocket for William Roy before swinging past Night Off (Francis Picard) at the quarter in :28.4 in the lone $10,000 dash for colts and geldings. Those two, several lengths ahead of the rest, raced one-two-through middle fractions in :59.1 and 1:29.1 before Bernard shook loose of his follower and extended his margin to 3-3/4 lengths as he completed the victory in 1:59. White Mountain Sun (Marie-Claude Auger) rolled by Night Off in the stretch for second, and the latter finished third.
Bernard, trained by Guy Roy, is perfect through three outings. The Sportswriter-Armand Spice gelding is owned by Sabrina Pelletier of Saint-Robert, Que. and Yvon Genereux of La Bostonais, Que.
Cattlekiss ($2.10) jogged in the first of two $7,500 Coupe de l’Avenir divisions for fillies, storming to an 11-3/4-length victory with a 2:00.3 clocking in her Quebec debut for trainer-driver Guy Gagnon. The Cattlewash-Kiss Baby Kiss filly, owned by Ecuries Guy Gagnon Inc., hit the board twice in Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots competition before Sunday’s win. Bm Sunshine Bullet (Denis St. Pierre) was second-best, followed by Got No More (Pascal Berube).
Addie Majesty ($8.60) became the first winning offspring of sire Evenin Of Pleasure as she captured the second division in 2:03, wiring the field with Auger in the bike. Snud Phoenix (Stephane Brosseau) closed for second, a half-length back of the winner, with Maumoneyhustle (Gagnon) third. Addie Majesty, out of Sb Shes The One, is one-for-three for Normand Normandin, who trains the homebred for Laurent Normandin.
Self Made ($4.40) took the overnight feature, the $5,500 Preferred Handicap Pace, in 1:55.1. He struck the lead first, let Light The Torch (Berube) by at the quarter, then re-took control and led for the remainder, holding on by a quarter-length over Light The Torch and Frozen Hanover (Simon Delisle), who were second and third, respectively. The win was his fifth this season in 11 attempts and second straight in the Preferred ranks at Hippodrome 3R. Brosseau drives and trains the six-year-old son of Fear The Dragon-Arrivista Hanover for Robert Bergeron and Chantal Trepanier. The gelding is 22-for-108 lifetime.
To view Sunday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(Standardbred Canada)