There was no world record set in the special two-mile race at the Hippodrome 3R on Sunday (July 30), but there was plenty of racing action in the four-lap event.
Sea Donkey and driver Pascal Berube took the early lead away from Northern Juno (Denis Audet) after the opening quarter in :28.2. Then Audet came right back to the front with Northern Juno and led the field to the half-mile in 1:00.2 and the three-quarters in 1:32.
Then Louis-Philippe Roy came first-over with Ninoscredit before the mile in 2:03.2, but was unable to take command away from Northern Juno as they went 2:35.4 to the 1-1/4 mile. At the 1-1/2 mile mark in 3:07, the action heated up as Stephane Brosseau took CF Sting Rei three-wide in front of the grandstand. They were followed by Mister Big Top (Stephane Gendron) and Tiguan Seelster (Stephane Lareau).
In the backstretch the final time, it was the three Stephanes in command with CF Sting Rei clearing to the lead, leaving Mister Big Top first-over at the 1-3/4 mile mark at 3:36.3 and Tiguan Seelster trying to follow his cover.
Then Gendron urged Mister Big Top and they blew right by CF Sting Rei and pulled away from the field to win by six and three-quarter lengths. CF Sting Rei was second with Tiguan Seelster third.
The time of the race was 4:06.1, well off the world record set last year by Strokin in 4:02.4.
The win was the fourth this year for Mister Big Top. The five-year-old gelded son of Mister Big is trained by Yves Tessier and is owned by Francois Morin of Beauceville, Que. He paid $4.80 to win.
There were six $7,500 divisions of the second round of the Future Stars Series for two-year-old colt and filly pacers. Each sex had three divisions.
The fastest mile of all the freshman pacers took place in the 12th race, the last race of the program.
Power Fog and driver Jocelyn Gendron were able to grind out the early lead over Challenge Magic (Louis-Philippe Roy) to the opening quarter-mile in :29.1. They had things their own way until Lucky Match (Yves Filion) came first-over after the half-mile in 1:00. As the pace picked up, Lucky Match dropped in behind Power Fog, who was able to get a breather to the three-quarters in 1:30.1. Then the action heated up as Filion pulled out of the pocket and came after Power Fog, but Gendron’s colt was able to dig in after a torrid stretch drive to win by a half-length in 2:00. Big Mach (Mario Charron) was third.
The win was the second in four starts for Power Fog. The son of Power Park is trained by Dominic Gladu for owner/breeder Gilbert Sauve of St-Jacques, Que. He paid $5.10 to win.
In the fifth race division, Louis-Philippe Roy and Phil Dorleans, the full brother to $678,000 winner Duc Dorleans, was able to lead from start to finish and hold off a bold three-wide move by G A Speed Sammy (Alain Garrier) in the backstretch, to win in 2:01.3. Leader Tonight (Mario Charron) was third.
It was the maiden win for the homebred Shanghai Phil gelding Phil Dorleans, who is trained by Jacques Dupont for owners Les Ecuries Dorleans Inc. of Repentigny, Que., and Gestion C. Levesque 2005 Inc. He paid $2.40 to win.
The seventh race division saw Louis-Philippe Roy return to the winner’s circle with a colt that he co-owns with trainer Kevin Maguire named El Muchacho.
Following pacesetter Kinnder Jackson (Justin Filion) in second until the backstretch, Roy then moved first-over with El Muchacho, clearing to the lead and winning by one and three-quarter lengths in 2:02. Kinnder Jackson was second with last week’s winner, Chloes Master (Steeven Genois), the heavy favourite, finishing third.
It was the second win in four starts for the colt by Goliath Bayama, who went off at odds of 9-1 and paid $20.50 to win.
The fastest of the fillies was D Gs Shadowsbell, who notched her second straight win for driver Jonathan Lachance and trainer Mario Lachance in the third race.
The heavy favourite, Hammering Haley (Louis-Philippe Roy), cut the mile early on but Lachance came first-over with D Gs Shadowsbell and took command for good before the half-mile marker and went on to win by one and three-quarter lengths in 2:00.4. Hammering Haley was second with Liisawithtwoeyes (Stephane Gendron) third.
The daughter of Shadow Play is owned and bred by Daniel Surprenant of Saint-Valentin, Que. She paid $9.20 to win.
Next came a real nail-bitter in the fourth race as return winner Le Balafre and driver Stephane Brosseau went right to the lead from post seven. The 4/5 favourite Katniss S BG and trainer/driver Yves Filion followed their cover.
Filion was content to sit the pocket trip until the three-quarters, when they came first-over to challenge. Those two battled neck and neck around the final turn along with the fast closing Lit De Rose (Pierre Luc Roy). As they came to the wire, Katniss S BG just got up by a neck over La Balafre in 2:01.1 with Lit De Rose (Pierre-Luc Roy) third by a half-length.
It was the first career win for the Mach Three filly, who was bred and is co-owned by Sylvain Descheneauz and Gaston Bibeau of Sorel-Tracy, Que. She paid $3.60 to win.
Katniss S BG, is named after the Katniss Everdeen character in the very popular Hunger Games.
The last filly division was the eighth race where Road To Lea (Stephane Brosseau) led early in the mile, then gave way to a determined Miss Rockadali (Yves Filion) until the backstretch, when Butterfly GB (Stephane Gendron) came first-over and cleared to the lead. Then Brosseau found clearance with Road To Lea and moved three-wide and was able to not only collar race favourite Butterfuly GB, but pass them by and go on to win by four lengths in 2:01.2. Lune Bleu (Pierre-Luc Roy) finished second with Butterfly BG third.
It was also a maiden victory for the Holiday Road filly Road To Lea. She is trained by Dany Fontaine for breeder/owner Ecurie Gaetan Bono Inc., of Montreal, Que. Road To Lea paid $6.60 to win.
Track Notes: Stephane Gendron has the hot hands for the afternoon, scoring three winners on the card.
This was the last Sunday race card as the Hippodrome 3R takes a two-week break while the Grand Prix auto races take place in Trois-Rivieres. Live racing resumes on Wednesday, August 16 when H3R hosts the fourth leg of the World Driving Championship with a special first race post time of 7:15 p.m. Then on Sunday, August 20 is the fourth revival of the $200,000 Prix D’Ete with a special first race post time of 2:30 p.m.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)