GA Speed Gaby, coming off a 15-length romp a week ago, eased to another victory at Hippodrome 3R on Friday, Sep. 15.
In Friday's featured $4,000 conditioned pace, Doc Fanelli (Jocelyn Gendron) blasted out from post four to lead into the first turn, but heavy favourite GA Speed Gaby moved to the outside and marched to the front just past the quarter in :28. The new leader, driven by Robert Shepherd, brought the field through middle panels of :56.2 and 1:25.3 with no challenges coming from a stagnating outer flow. GA Speed Gaby kicked away from Doc Fanelli down the stretch, leaving the only rival in reach four lengths behind to prevail in 1:55.1. Doc Fanelli proved second-best with show finisher Ninoscredit (Marie-Claude Auger) 3-1/2 lengths further back.
GA Speed Gaby (pictured above) has now won three straight races since Shepherd took the lines for trainer David Pilon.
Pilon said on Thursday that he “made some equipment adjustments and shoeing changes but also completely changed his daily training” upon receiving the horse last month from owner Josee Patry. The seven-year-old son of Windfall Blue Chip is now 13-for-79 lifetime and has earned $72,732.
GA Speed Gaby paid $2.10 to win.
In the card’s co-featured $4,000 conditioned trot, Goaltender circled every on-stride opponent for a mild 5-1 upset.
Goaltender dropped back at the start for Francis Picard through a first split of :28.3 but moved closer with the field bunching up as several horses moved to the outside. Still seventh at the half in :59.3, Goaltender pulled third-over on the backstretch and made headway on cover to three-quarters in 1:29.3. He swung four-wide on the final turn and was fifth at the head of the stretch, but the six-year-old gelding uncorked a big rush to blow by the top four and score going away by 1-1/4 lengths in 2:01. Muscles Forever (Sylvain Fontaine) edged out MVP L (Jessica Turenne) under the wire for second.
Goaltender has now won three races this season in 21 tries. He moved to the Andre Champagne barn in July for owner Francois Morin, relocating to Quebec from Ontario.
The son of Wheeling N Dealin is typically a come-from-behind horse; he has led at the quarter once in 108 lifetime starts. Goaltender has won 15 times in his career and has raked in $116,628 in bankroll.
He returned $12.50 for the win.
Pascal Berube was the day’s top driver with three wins in nine drives. He added to his lead in the 3R drivers’ standings, pushing his win count to 59, and is now 13 clear of Stephane Brosseau, who was blanked on the day.
The card was the final Friday date of the meet for Hippodrome 3R. Racing will now switch to Sundays only, beginning with the Sep. 17 program. Post time will be 12 noon.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from the Quebec Jockey Club)