Seeyou Men had a perfect trip in the Quebec-Bred Series for older trotters at the Hippodrome 3R on Friday (July 5), but Capteur De Reve had other ideas in scoring an upset victory. Driver Stephane Gendron had a big night with four winners.
This was the third and final preliminary round in the series before next week's $30,000 finals on Sunday, July 14.
Seeyou Men and driver Stephane Brosseau were the overwhelming 1-9 race favourites in the $6,500 eighth race co-feature and there was no place or show wagering on the race.
It was Capteur De Reve and Gendron who left like a rocket out of the starting gate and Seeyou Men had to be content to enjoy the two-hole trip in second-place.
Capteur De Reve went to the opening quarter-mile in a speedy :27.4. He then backed down the pace as they went past the half-mile marker in :59.2. Then Kinnder Dangerous (Pierre-Luc Roy) came first-over with Maximuscle (Tyler Jones) grabbing the second-over spot after going off-stride at the start of the race.
Down the backstretch, Capteur De Reve continued to be the strong horse, passing the three-quarter pole in 1:29.2 as Kinnder Dangerous could not gain ground on the outside, but also boxed in Seeyou Men along the rail.
As they came down the stretch, Seeyou Men finally had room to trot along the rail but it was too late as Capteur De Reve had plenty of trot and went on to win by one length in 1:59.3. Seeyou Men was second with his full brother Wildwild Men finishing third.
It was the first win of the season in four starts for Capteur De Reve. The homebred five-year-old gelding by Muscle Mass is a three-time Quebec Series champion and is trained by Maxime Velaye for the Provoquante Stable of Mirabel, Que. He paid $12 to win.
In the older trotting mares division, race six, it was Lucky Promesses and driver Francis Picard who stole the show from the rail.
Quickly leaving and taking command of the race with Eau Naturelle (Simon Delisle) sitting in second-place, Lucky Promesses held off a first-over Kascara Rosa (Stephane Brosseau) at the half-mile and three-quarters. Then coming down the stretch, Lucky Promesses started to bear out and allowed Eau Naturelle to come up the rail and near collar the leader.
But Lucky Promesses was her best Friday and held on for the victory by a neck over Eau Naturelle with a late-closing Y S Suzanne (Guy Gagnon) third in the photo.
The time of the race was 1:59.3. It was the second win this year for Lucky Promesses, who is trained by Francis Richard for owners Bruno Morin of St-Lazare-De-Bellechasse, Que., and Dany Genois of Quebec City. The six-year-old daughter of Lucky Fool paid $10.10 to win.
The first local two-year-old race of the season took place in the third race with a real slugfest between pacesetter Gaudi Kir (Windfall Blue Chip) and Eclat De Rire (Leader Bayama) in the backstretch as those two paced a final half-mile in :58.2 en route to Eclat D Rire winning by a half-length in 2:01. Eclat De Rire ($2.80) is trained by Maxime Velaye and was bred and is owned by Guy Corbeil of Mirabel.
Track Notes: Both Yves Tessier and Maxime Velaye had training doubles and Stephane Gendron drove their winners.
Live racing resumes Sunday at 1 p.m. Three divisions of the Quebec-Bred Series for older pacers will be featured on the program with Atomic Million AM going for his fourth straight victory. The two mares divisions are headlined by YS Tallia and Lit De Rose.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Hippodrome 3R
(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)