Redwood Hanover and driver Jonathan Drury pulled off a 14-1 upset in the return of the $200,000 Prix d’Été at Hippodrome 3R on Sunday afternoon, Aug. 18.
Sent postward as the second longest shot on the board, the Tony Beaton trainee was victorious in the renewal of the Grand Circuit stakes event for four-year-olds pacers that was last held five years ago prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the start of the race, driver James MacDonald fired favourite Its My Show from post six and worked to clear the inside leavers through a :26.1 opening quarter. The millionaire pacer took the field of eight to the half in :55.3 with Huntinthelastdolar and Doug McNair moving first-up from fourth heading in front of the grandstand the first time around.
Meanwhile, Drury followed that live cover with Redwood Hanover full of pace and poised for the big upset.
When Huntinthelastdolar took over command down the backstretch, Redwood Hanover progressed alongside as they raced by three-quarters in 1:24.2 with Its My Show tiring and backing through the field.
Redwood Hanover took a short lead outside of Huntinthelastdolar as they rounded the final turn and surged clear down the stretch to win by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:52.2. Huntinthelastdolar settled for second with No Control rallying off the winner's back to show for Jody Jamieson. The entry of Tip Top Cat and Act Fast rounded out the top five finish order.
"He raced really good his last start at Mohawk [finishing second in 1:48.2 in the Preferred on Aug. 3] and I know he's got a big kick, I just needed them to rough it up a little bit, which they did, and things worked out in our favour," said Drury after the race. "When I saw Dougie starting to clear down the backside, I still had a ton of horse so I figured I'd be able to give him a pretty good run. I just wasn't sure if mine would be able to pace by him or not, but he was covered up long enough that he was able to get the job done. I felt good coming off the last turn."
Beaton shares ownership of the winning son of Stay Hungry and Rockingcam Park with Mac Nichol of Burlington, Ont., McKinlay & Fielding of Toronto, Ont., and David Mercer of Westmount, N.S.
Redwood Hanover, who earned his second win of the season in 11 starts, now sports a career record reading 7-6-5 from 35 starts and has amassed earnings of $420,992.
Redwood Hanover returned $30.90 for a $2 win ticket.
Quebec Jockey Club president Sophie Mongeon, second from left, presents the Prix d’Été trophy to driver Jonathan Drury and Redwood Hanover's connections in the winner's circle at Hippodrome 3R.
The Quebec Jockey Club also hosted the third and final preliminary round of the Breeders Trophy Series for three-year-old pacing colts and fillies. There were two divisions for the colts and one for the fillies.
The $10,000 lone division for the fillies turned out to be the fastest mile of the three races as the overwhelming 1-9 favourite, One More Bet, dominated the field in 1:56.1 with driver Daniel Dube.
Wicked Discovery (Pascal Berube) parked out D Gs Lorijeanne (Jonathan Lachance) for the early lead, but One More Bet and Dube were flying on the outside and they cleared to command by the :27.3 opening quarter. One More Bet led the half in :57.3 and then Ronda Du Lac (Louis-Philippe Roy) went first-over with Ma Diva (Sylvain Lacaille) second-over. Dube then started to open up with One More Bet at the three-quarters in 1:27.1, ultimately pulling away in the stretch to win in a romp by 7-1/4 lengths. Ronda Du Lac was second with Ma Diva third.
The win was the third in 12 starts on the season for One More Bet and her second win in the series. The homebred Alls Bets Off-P L Kahluaa filly is trained by Jean Tourigny for Les Ecuries Morel Inc. of Mirabel, Que. One More Bet paid just $2.10 to win.
In the first $7,500 division for the colts, Ambitious Mind and driver/breeder Francis Picard led wire-to-wire in 1:57.1 to win by a quarter-length over favourite G S Speed Expert (Robert Shepherd) with Dan Speed (Jessica Turenne) third.
The fractions went in :27.4, :57.4 and 1:26.4 and the winning time was a new lifetime mark for the Big Jim-Rainbow Palace gelding, who recorded his third victory from nine starts this year. Dominique Picard trains Ambitious Mind for Quebec owners Severine Picard of Warwick, Martin Bilodeau of Victoriaville and Claude Thibault of St. Eustache. The winner returned $12.50 at the betting windows.
The second colt division was also won in wire-to-wire fashion by the 1-5 race favourite, Boomboom Tonight, in rein to Pascal Berube.
They cut fractions of :28.3, :58.4 and 1:28 with no one able to mount a serious challenge. Boomboom Tonight won with ease by 3-3/4 lengths in 1:57. The pocket-sitting Olaf Du Lac (Louis-Philippe Roy) was second with Kinnder Reptile (Marie-Claude Auger) third.
Boomboom Tonight has now won four of his last five starts, including three preliminary divisions of the series. The homebred son of Sportswriter out of Rapid Tonight is trained and owned by Elisabeth Pothier of St-Christophe-D'Arthabask, Que. He paid $2.50 to win.
A pair of $6,500 Preferred Handicaps on Sunday's undercard went to trotter Kinnder Motown in 1:59.4, with Marie-Claude Auger driving for trainer Dany Mainguy, and the David Pilon stable's repeat pacing winner Twin B Powerball in 1:55.2, giving Louis-Philippe Roy one of his four victories to top all drivers on the day.
Total handle for the 12-race afternoon card was $321,019, just $2,400 under the record handle day set in 2023.
Live harness racing resumes at 3R next Friday, Aug. 23 at 4 p.m. The main events will be the third and final preliminary round of the Future Stars Series for two-year-old trotting colts and fillies.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(Standardbred Canada with files from Quebec Jockey Club)
Aged Pacing Horses
Why have the aged pacing horses that were supposed to be at the top of their class this year fared so poorly in 2024? Charlie May, Allywag Hanover, Stockade Seelster, and Bythemissal have all failed to win even a single race in 2024, and Its My Show only has a single win to his credit after finishing dead last as the post time favorite today in The Prix D' Ete.