Decret Justiciale kept his Quebec Stakes record perfect on Sunday afternoon at Hippodrome 3R as he romped to a track record victory in one of four $15,000 sophomore finals featured on the card.
Leaving from post eight in the trotting colt and gelding final, Decret Justiciale and trainer-driver Denis Filion cleared to command after the opening quarter mark and cruised to a three-quarter length victory over pocket-sitter Temptation Bayama (Yves Filion). The 1:59.4 winning time lowered Silverado Dream's track record for three-year-old trotting geldings by three-fifths of a second. The favourite paid $3.50 to win.
Decret Justiciale won all four of his freshman starts, including his previous two Quebec Finals, and now boasts a sophomore record reading 5-0-2 in nine seasonal starts. The Justice Hall-Supersfinalcatch colt has banked $71,874 to date for breeder Jules Sigler of Ottawa, Ont., who co-owns with Danielle Levac of St-Augustin-Mirabel, Que.
Taking the spotlight in the next final was even-money favourite Olivias Way, who sat fourth early on before rallying three-wide at the third quarter mark and opening up daylight on her sophomore pacing filly foes. Trained and driven by Marcel Barrieau, she stopped the clock in 1:57.3, winning by 10 lengths over pacesetter D Gs Perfectbeach (Denis St. Pierre) and late-closer Pretty Emy (Gilbert Hamel).
The Shanghai Phil-This Much Is True filly, who was a freshman Quebec Stakes champion last year, is owned and bred by the Hudson Standardbred Stable Inc. of Hudson, Que.
In the pacing colt and gelding final, favourite Cee Pee Panic and driver Yves Filion settled for a two-hole trip early on and pulled the pocket down the stretch to win in 1:58.1 by two lengths over fellow elimination winner Baron Yankee (Stehpane Brosseau) and Reve Ki Pass (Jocelyn Gendron) while pacesetter Jordon Boy (Denis St. Pierre) faded to fourth. He paid $3.50 to win.
Justin Filion trains the lightly raced Perfect Union-Miss Alwindy colt for owner-breeder Brian Paquet of Quebec City, Que.
In a field full of breakers in the three-year-old trotting filly final, Promise To Belucky rallied home off cover and inherited the win when the popular leader, Mathers Promising (Richard Simard), broke stride. La Neuvilloise (Stephane Brosseau) finished nearly 11 lengths behind in third. The 4-1 second choice paid $10.40 to win.
The homebred Lucky Fool-Promising Gale filly, also a freshman stakes winner, is owned by driver Jerome Lombart of Bromont, Que. and trained by Andreane Lapierre.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R.