Somewhere Bettor, second to favoured Mickeymaksomespeed in the $5,000 Preferred Pace on Friday night at Hippodrome 3R, started from somewhere better – the rail — when the two were rematched Sunday (July 4) in a $5,000 contest, and Somewhere Bettor never let anyone past him in a 1:56.3 victory.
Somewhere Bettor, the 5-2 second choice, was under encouragement from driver Jocelyn Gendron to leave all-out and take advantage of the geometry, and the Bettors Delight gelding responded, with 2-5 favourite Mickeymaksomespeed, starting alongside, forced to take back to the pocket before the :27.3 quarter. No one challenged the pacesetter from the outside until Littlebitaswagger moved late on the second turn, and Somewhere Bettor was able to slow the tempo through a :57.4 half.
The three-quarters came in 1:27.1 and Littlebitaswagger soon started to back off from the leader, giving Mickeymaksomespeed his chance. But the chalk mustered little headway into a :29.2 last quarter, with Somewhere Bettor able to extend his lead to 1-1/2 lengths at the finish for Gendron and owner-trainer Yannick Martel.
In the $4,500 Preferred Handicap Pace for fillies and mares, the Camluck distaffer Jans Legacy, a winner in this class when last at 3R, came back after two good races at Rideau Carleton and promptly triumphed again in 1:57.2. Stéphane Brosseau moved the veteran to the lead past the quarter, fought off a hard backstretch challenge from Y C Easy, and then showed determination to ward off the late-charging Kiss Me Bad by a neck.
Jans Legacy won as the 2-1 favourite for trainer Marc-André Simoneau, who also shares ownership with Desjardins Nereau Stable.
Favourites came in steadily for the wagering fans, with eight out of 10 public choices succeeding. Somewhere Bettor’s $7.40 was amazingly the highest win price of the day; the only other non-chalk to win was Thats Some Plan paying $5.20 as the second choice behind 7-5 Yankee Up.
Stéphane Brosseau led all drivers with three wins on the card; Samuel Fillion doubled.
To view Sunday's complete results, click the following link: Sunday Results – Hippodrome 3R.
(Québec Jockey Club)