Columbo Ray and Denises Aura were first-time winners in the second preliminary leg of the Coupe de l'Avenir for two-year-old Quebec-bred pacers at Hippodrome 3R on Sunday, Aug. 16.
After four runner-up finishes to start his career, Columbo Ray scored his maiden-breaking victory in 1:56.3 in the $10,000 colt and gelding stakes division with Pascal Berube catch-driving for trainer Jean-Francois Maguire, who also shares ownership with Quebec partners Jean Allaire of Montreal, Yves Raymond of Martinville and Jean Pierre Nadeau of Mascouche.
Berube worked out a pocket trip for the Cattlewash-Drift Panic gelding, leaving quickly from post two and landing behind the oncoming favourite, The Dancers King (Marie-Claude Auger), through fractions of :28.3, :58 and 1:27.1. With the pacesetter up by three lengths at three-quarters in search of his second straight win in the series, Columbo Ray unleashed a :28.4 final frame to reel him in on the final turn and go by in the stretch, with the Allaire-owned entrymate Pinocchio Du Lac (Pierre-Luc Roy) chasing up the inside to edge out The Dancers King for second. The win payout on the successful 5-2 second choice was $7.80.
Despite being parked the first half-mile, Denises Aura defeated the favoured opening leg winner Smithnwesn Phoenix in the $10,000 filly division. William Roy got Denises Aura to the top after a pair of early lead changes through a :58.4 half then cruised through back-to-back, 30-second panels for the 1:58.4 victory by one length over the Berube-driven Smithnwesn Phoenix, paying $4.90 to win as the 7-5 second choice. Longshot Kinnder Lavish (Simon Delisle) finished eight lengths behind in third.
The Control The Moment-Curious Khaleesi filly is a homebred for trainer Guy Roy, who co-owns with Andre Leduc of Trois Rivieres, Que. Denises Aura won her third career start following a third-place finish in last month's opening leg of the series.
Columbo Ray was one of five winners driven by Berube during the afternoon's 11-race card. The Portneuf, Que. reinsman also scored with Trophee des Eleveurs three-year-old pacing filly contender Victoria Ray ($2.50) in a tune-up 1:57.2 career-best matching mile for trainer David Pilon. Other winners for the meet-leading driver included the Gaetan Fortin-trained veteran pacer Another Daily Copy ($5.40), 3R leading trainer Marc-Andre Simoneau's pacing mare Beauty Is Blind ($12.80) and the Yves Tessier stable's Bets Beach ($2.60) -- the latter winning out of the Preferred ranks in a season's best 1:55.1 romp by 10-1/4-lengths.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(Standardbred Canada; photo of Columbo Ray and driver Pascal Berube winning on Aug. 16)