Twenty two-year-old pacing fillies are entered in the third round of the Future Stars Series at the Hippodrome 3R on Sunday (Aug. 26), but only one of them is undefeated.
Most of the fillies racing Sunday in the two divisions will be vying for points to be one of the eight finalists for the $55,000 Future Stars Series Final at H3R on Sunday, Sept. 9, except for the undefeated Hurrayupatthebeach, who has already won two legs of the series.
Hurrayupatthebeach will be going for her sixth straight win on Sunday. The daughter of Up The Credit headlines the fourth race, which is the first of two ten-horse Future Stars divisions.
A homebred filly from the Somebeachsomewhere mare Blue Beach Girl, Hurryupatthebeach was bred by her trainer Pierre Leclerc, who co-owns with Gina Bragagnolo of Lavaltrie. She is the first foal from Blue Beach Girl.
One of the people that knows Hurryupatthebeach better than most is her driver, Pascal Berube. He has driven her in four of her five wins, and will do so again from the rail on Sunday.
“Pierre (Leclarc) told me one month before her first qualifier,” said Berube, “that he felt he had a good one.”
In her only qualifying race, with Berube driving, Hurryupatthebeach actually lost the race. She was third, missing by only three-quarters of a length after a strong closing effort.
Since then, she went right to the pari-mutuel races and has yet to lose. She races mainly on the lead, but there is a reason for that. She has a record of 1:58.2 taken at Rideau Carleton, but it was her last start at H3R that perhaps is most impressive.
In that race, Hurryupatthebeach broke stride before the start from post 4. She was able to regroup for Berube, coming first-over and taking the lead after the opening quarter. She then crushed the field, winning by her largest margin yet, 8-3/4 lengths in 1:59.4.
“She’s good for sure,” Berube said. “And she can race from either on or off the pace. So, for the moment she races on the lead because I don’t have any better horses that can cut the mile for me.”
While Hurryupatthebeach has beaten most of the other fillies in the field, it will not be a walk in the park on Sunday, as she faces Better Now for the first time.
Sired by Betterthancheddar, Better Now starts from the second tier in post 10 with driver Stephane Brosseau. She won her last two starts. Last week, it was a 3-1/4 length triumph in the second round of the Future Stars Series in 2:00, and her prior start yielded a 1:56.1 Ontario Sire Stakes Grassroots victory at Grand River Raceway. She has also been timed in 1:55.2 and 1:56.2 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Better Now is owned by trainer Pierre Ouellette of Joliette and Ecurie Largo, Inc.
The second filly division is the eighth race, and the morning-line favourite hails from the stable of Hall of Famer Yves Filion. Audi Bayama, a daughter of Sportswriter, was bred and is owned by Filion’s Bayama Farms.
In just her first lifetime start, she came out with a 2:00.1 win with Filion in the sulky and last week was third to Better Now in the Future Stars Series. She starts from post 6.
Another standout in the field is Majelyca, starting from post 4 with driver Jocelyn Gendron. Sired by Windfall Blue Chip, Majelyca was soundly defeated last week against Hurryupatthebeach, but she won two straight earlier in the season, including her record of 2:02.1 taken in the opening round of the series.
Colts and geldings do battle in the sixth race, also with 10 starters, featuring another undefeated two-year-old named D Gs De Vito.
The son of Sportswriter is three-for-three on the season for trainer Guylaine Fortin and breeder-owner Daniel Surprenant of Saint-Valentin. He starts from post 3. While not yet showing any leaving ability for driver Jonathan Lachance, D Gs De Vito has been grinding his way to victory, having gone first-over in all three of his wins and overpowering his opponents. His fastest victory was a 2:00.1 score in last week’s second round of the Future Stars.
Other contenders include GA Speed Gaby (post 2), Guinness Panic (post 4) and Sunshine Lou (post 10).
Post time Sunday is 12:50 p.m. For a free race program, visit www.quebecjockeyclub.com.
(Québec Jockey Club)