The new Quebec Plus Series kicked off at the Hippodrome 3R on Sunday (Sept. 16) with two divisions for two-year-old pacers, and a track record was set in the series.
The new series is only for those horses eligible to the Quebec Series that did not earn more than $7,500 as of September 10, 2018.
In the second division (Race 8) there was a cavalry charge for the early lead. Esprit Dequipe (Pierre Luc Roy) was in front early and Majeyca (Sylvain Lacaille) was on the outside heading for the lead.
Then, from the outside three-wide, came the 1-9 race favourite, Behavenmyself and driver Pascal Berube. They cleared to the lead by the opening quarter mile in :28.4.
Behavenmyself then led the field through fractions of :58.4 and 1:28.1 with no one able to keep up with the filly. Then, in the stretch, Behavenmyself opened up on the field, as she went on to win by an impressive ten lengths in 1:56.2, which was a new track record clocking.
Esprit Dequipe finished second and D Gs Fairystars (Stephane Brosseau) was third. The previous track record for two-year-old pacing fillies was 1:56.4, which was set by Yaris Bayama in 2016.
Behavenmyself, who is by Badlands Hanover, is trained by Gerard Demers. Sunday’s win was her maiden victory, and it came in her eighth career start (she has made the majority of her starts at the Ontario Sires Stakes’ Grassroots level). Behavenmyself is owned by Les Ecuries GLD Inc. of St-Andre-Avelin with Jean Roch Marois of St-Joachim-De-Shefford and paid just $2.10 to win.
The victory was one of three on the afternoon for driver Pascal Berube.
The sixth race, first division of the Quebec Plus Series, saw Dernier Essai and driver Pierre Luc Roy able to lead from start to finish in 1:58.2 by two lengths over Blackjack Soleil (Claude Beausoleil) with Angelo Benjo (Pascal Berube) third.
It was the maiden victory for Dernier Essai, a colt by Mach Three, who is trained by Maxime Velaye for owner Guy Corbeil of Mirabel. He paid $3.60 to win.
The seventh race Open Handicap Trot saw Holiday Party ($7.40) and driver Pascal Berube able to lead from start to finish with an easy three-length triumph in 1:58.2.
Seeyou Men and driver Jocelyn Gendron caused interference in the race, as they broke stride while going for the lead on the first turn. Holiday Party and 44-1 Holiday Spirit (Stephane Brosseau) cleared the incident and then raced first and second the rest of the race. Capteur De Reve (Pierre Luc Roy) was third.
It was the fifth win this year for Holiday Party, who is trained by Isabelle Binet and owned by the Groupe Holiday Party Partnership of Portneul.
Track Notes: Driver Francis Picard had the hot hands at H3R, leading all drivers with four winners on the afternoon program. With three wins from his stable on Sunday, Francis Richard took the lead in the training standing with 15 wins, Michel Allard is now in second with 13 and Maxime Velaye is third with 12 wins. Next Sunday, the Hippodrome 3R will host the 2018 Quebec Regional Fair Finals with ten championship races and more than $40,000 in purses. Post time for the card will be at 12:50 p.m. For more information, visit quebecjockeyclub.com.
To view the harness racing results for Sunday at H3R, click the following link: Sunday Results – Hippodrome 3R.
(Quebec Jockey Club)