Hall of Famer Yves Filion made another successful visit to the Hippodrome 3R on Sunday (Sept. 13), as he guided Colonel Bayama to victory in the final leg of the Future Stars Series for two-year-old pacers.
The eight top point earners in the series will now return to H3R on Sunday, September 27 for the $55,000 finals. September 27 at the track has been dubbed 'Super Sunday,' which will boast more than $500,000 in purses, therefore making it the richest day of horse racing in all of Quebec.
Leaving from Post 5 in the $10,000 first race for the colts, Filion and Colonel Bayama were parked out to the opening quarter by D Gs Runforhim (who was driven by Jonathan Lachance) in :28.3.
Filion was able to back down the pace to the half mile in :59.3, as The Light Speed (Simon Delisle) came first-over with Major Damage (Steeven Genois) second-over.
Colonel Bayama continued to lead the field to the three-quarters in 1:30.1 and then held off all contenders down the stretch to win by a half length in 2:00.4. The Light Speed was second with D Gs Runforhim third.
The win was the maiden victory for Colonel Bayama. The colt by Sunshine Beach had been second in the first two rounds of the series. He is trained by Filion and co-owned and bred by Bayama Farms of Saint-Andre-D’Argenteuil and Jacques Damours of Saint-Bruno. He paid $6.30 to win.
The rains came before the $10,000 filly division (Race 8) and the track was 'sloppy' with a two-second allowance, but that did not matter to Got Sexy Scars and driver Stephane Gendron.
Leaving from Post 3, Got Sexy Scars went to the early lead and parked out Platine Alpha (Carol Voyer) past the opening quarter mile in a speedy :28.2. Then the pace was pressed as GA Speed Sammy (Pierre-Luc Roy) came three-wide and they raced that way past the half in :59.1.
The pace did not slow down from there, as SOS Faline (Stephane Brosseau) then came three-wide in the backstretch as they reached the three-quarters in 1:29.2. It seemed then that Got Sexy Scars had enough and pulled away from the field, winning by two and one-half lengths in 2:00. SOS Faline was second with JS Miss Cornelia (Sylvain Lacaille) third.
The victory was the lifetime mark and the second win this season for Got Sexy Scars. She is by Sportswriter and trained by Gilles Gendron for owner-breeder Bruno Lepage of Beauharnois. She paid $5.80 to win.
Track Notes: After a fast half mile, driver Jessica Turenne bolted to the lead and never looked back with Uncle Bill ($9.90), winning the Lady Drivers Challenge with the beautiful roan pacer in 1:57.4 by the length of the stretch. The fourth-race pace was the 'Trainers Challenge' and conditioner Francis Richard wired the field with Guinness Panic ($3.80) in 1:58. Francis Richard led all horsepeople Sunday with a training triple. Live racing resumes next Friday at H3R with first-race post time at 1:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.hippodrome3r.ca.
To view the harness racing results for Sunday at H3R, click the following link: Sunday Results – Hippodrome 3R.
(Quebec Jockey Club)