Three-year-old trotter Cesar Duharas showed that his amazing track record performance in 1:56.1 at the Hippodrome 3R (H3R) on July 26 was no fluke as the gelded son of Muscle Massive won a division of the Breeders Cup Series again on Friday (August 16).
Competing in the $10,000 second race, the third and final leg of the series, driver Pascal Berube wasted no time getting Cesar Duharas right to the early lead with El Bleu (Stephane Brosseau) sitting right on their backs to the opening quarter-mile in :29.2. The rest of the field was already five lengths behind the leaders.
Opening up on the field some more, Cesar Duharas pasted the half-mile mark in :59 with El Bleu still able to stay close in second-place. Then after the three-quarters in 1:27.3, Cesar Duharas started to pull away from El Bleu and went on to win in a romp by eight and one-quarter lengths in 1:56.3. El Bleu held for second with Money Hill (Yves Filion) third.
The win was the second straight in just five lifetime starts for Cesar Duharas. He is trained by Denis Gueriel and is owned by breeder Haras De L Estrie Inc. of Dunham, Que. He paid $2.30 to win.
After this weekend, the top eight money-winners from both the Breeders Cup Series and the Future Stars Series will return to H3R on Sunday, Sept. 8, for their respective finals with total purses that day at $500,000.
In the $10,000 eighth race filly division of the Breeders Cup, Kinderunbelievable and driver Pierre-Luc Roy scored a mild upset over Cor Leo and driver Stephane Gendron.
Cor Leo cut the mile from the start, and after the half-mile, Roy came after them on the outside and was able to duck into the two-hole. Then after the three-quarters, Roy came after the leader again, and this time, after the final turn, Kinderunbelievable was able to collar Cor Leo and then go on to win by one length in a lifetime-best 1:59.3. Cor Leo was second with Claudi P V (Pascal Berube) third.
Bred, owned and trained by Denitza Petrova of Melbourne, Que., the daughter of Archangel earned her second win this year. She paid $12.30 to win.
In Friday's $7,500 first division of the Future Stars Series for two-year-old trotting colts, Major Bay and driver Jocelyn Gendron pulled off an upset victory over 1-5 favourite Kenogami Coco (Tyler Jones).
Major Bay cut the entire mile with Kenogami Coco sitting the pocket trip and then Major Bay held him off in the stretch to win by one length in 2:04.1. Master Gale (Jerome Lombart) was third.
The Amigo Hall colt took a new lifetime mark while recording his second straight win and third victory in just four career starts. He is trained by Francis Richard for Ferme Auclair of St Antoine De Tilly, Que., Ecurie Francis Richard Inc. of Becancour, Que., and Jean-Christophe Auclair of Saint-Apollinaire, Que. He paid $6 to win.
The second colt trot division saw a real dogfight take place early on as Babidibou (Stephane Gendron) would not give the lead away to 1-5 favourite Tuscan Titan (Guy Gagnon) as those two pulled away from the field and battled past a :28.2 opening quarter-mile.
It looked as if Gagnon could not get his colt to settle down into the two-hole and then he went off stride. That left Babidibou and Gendron all alone on the lead.
Babidibou strolled to the half in 1:00.4, the three-quarters in 1:32.1 and came home a 12-1/4-length winner in a lifetime-best 2:02.4 mile. Tuscan Titan rebounded to finish second with HP Muscle Dancer (Jocelyn Gendron) third.
A son of Royalty For Life, Babidibou is trained by Maxime Velaye for Isidore Russo of Montreal, Que., and Guy Corbeil of Mirabel, Que. The win was the first of his career. He paid $6.10 to win.
The lone $10,000 filly division of the Future Stars Series saw the favourites, Emotions Durables and driver Tyler Jones, lead from start to finish and win by one length over SOS Trumper (Jocelyn Gendron) in 2:04.3. Kinnder High Class (Pierre-Luc Roy) was third.
For the daughter of Wheeling N Dealin, it was her third straight win in four lifetime starts and she returned $5.10 to her backers at the betting windows. Emotions Durables is owned and trained by Cassandra Lecourt of Ste-Victoire De Sorel, Que.
Pascal Berube and H3R's leading driver Stephane Gendron each has driving doubles Friday. Both Francis Richard, H3R’s leading trainer, and Maxime Velaye sent out two winners on the night. Six of the 10 races on Friday saw lifetime mark scores.
Track Notes: There is a late driver change in the Prix d'Été on Sunday as Eric Goodell is not coming to H3R and he will be replaced on Hitman Hill by Jonathan Drury. That makes the six leading purse money drivers in all of Canada competing in the Prix d'Été. They are: 1. Sylvain Filion ($3,480,641), 2. Louis Philippe Roy ($3,116,294), 3. Bob McClure ($2,881,807), 4. Trevor Henry ($2,550,734), 5. Doug McNair ($2,176,471) and 6. Jonathan Drury ($2,176,550).
Post time on Sunday is 1 p.m. For a free race program or to watch the H3R races, visit quebecjockeyclub.com.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)