Not even a torrid rain storm before the start of the second race and starting from the outside in post eight, could stop Lucky Promesses from posting her seventh straight harness racing victory Tuesday at the Hippodrome 3R in the second race trot.
The winningest horse at H3R this year, Lucky Promesses is owned, bred and was driven to victory by Jerome Lombart of Bromont. The four-year-old mare by Lucky Fool from the Mr Lavec mare, Promising Lavec, is trained by Andreane Lapierre.
By the opening quarter mile over the sloppy track, Lombart had Lucky Promesses on the lead by two lengths. They held the field at bay the rest of the one-mile race, opening up in the stretch to win by five and three-quarter lengths in 2:03.3 over the sloppy track.
It was the eighth victory of the year in 17 starts for Lucky Promesses, who paid $3.10 to win.
There were three divisions of the final preliminary round of the $220,000 Future Stars Series Tuesday evening – with two divisions for two-year-old trotting fillies and one for the colts. They all were vying for points to make the $55,000 finals on September 3.
The biggest upset of the series came in the eighth race division for colts as SOS Irresistable and trainer/driver Eric Gnocchini were able to lead from start to finish at odds of 31-1, paying $64.20 to win.
Gnoccihini and SOS Irresistible left from post five and got to the early lead with ease, but then was challenge on the outside by Sir Chopin and driver Mario Charron at the opening quarter mile and those two went head to head until the second turn when Charron backed off with Sir Chopin.
From that point on, Gnoccihini and SOS Irresistible had no further challenges and went on to win by three lengths in 2:07.3. Ganymede Lavec (Jerome Lombart) was second with Yankee Photo (Pascal Berube) third.
It was the maiden victory in the second lifetime start for SOS Irresistable, a son of Val Taurus, who is owned by Ryan MacDonald of Halifax, NS. It was also the first win this season in six starts for driver Eric Gnoccihini.
The fourth race first division for fillies, saw the 1-9 favourite, Papillon Bleu and driver Pierre-Luc Roy sit the pocket-trip to race leader Justice Rules (Stephane Brosseau) until the three-quarters when they came first-over to challenge.
Justice Rules still had some trot left and parked out Papillion Bleu around the field turn, but then faded in the stretch at Papillion Blue and Roy pulled away to win by three and three-quarter lengths in 2:10.2 over the sloppy track. Poupee (Gaetan Lamy) was third.
It was the second win in four starts for Papillion Bleu, a daughter of Muscle Mass, trained by Maxime Velaye for the Provoquante Stable of Mirabel that owns and bred the filly. She paid $2.30 to win.
In the sixth race second division for trotting fillies, Precieuse CC and trainer/driver Claude Beausoleil left from post five as if they were shot out of a cannon, leading by 12 lengths by the opening quarter mile.
They never looked back at the rest of the field as they went on to win by 17 lengths in 2:07.3. Kinnder Prediction (Justin Filion) was second with SOS Mesmerize (Stephane Gendron) third.
Sired by Angus Hall, Precieuse CC has now won all three of her Future Stars preliminary rounds and will be the race favourite in the upcoming $55,000 final. She is owned by Marie Andree Cournoyer of Chicoutimi and paid just $2.10 to win as the overwhelming race favourite.
Driver Stephane Brosseau still needs just one victory to reach the milestone of 3,000 career wins. He had six drives on the Tuesday program but failed to win any of them.
Driver Pierre-Luc Roy had the hot hands on the sloppy track, winning three races.
Live racing resumes at H3R on Sunday, first race post time is 12:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.quebecjockeyclub.com.
(QJC)
To view results for Tuesday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Tuesday Results – Hippodrome 3R.