Hippodrome 3R hosted its richest race program of the 2017 season on Sunday (September 3), as the championship finals of the Breeders Cup Series and the Future Stars Series for two and three-year-old trotting colts and fillies were showcased during the program.
There were eight finals. The three-year-old divisions each raced for a purse of $65,000, while the two-year-olds divisions each raced for a purse of $55,000. Unlike prior years, there were no track records set on Sunday due to a misty rain that fell throughout the afternoon. The conditions turned the track to a ‘sloppy’ designation by the time Race 6 headed behind the starting gate.
A brief précis of the divisional winners appears below.
Three-Year-Old Colt Pace - $65,000 Final – Perhaps the most exciting of the eight championship finals started out with Noplay (driven by Stephane Pouliot) shooting to the early lead with race favourite C L Sportsaction (Jonathan Lachance) in the pocket to the opening quarter mile in :28.4.
Lachance was not content in the pocket and pulled first-over, thus giving outside cover to Wildriverbumblebee (Stephane Brosseau) as Western Phil (Scott Young) filled the two-hole gap. Then, in the backstretch, Brosseau moved three-wide with Wildriverbumblebee and was able to clear to first-over on the final turn and showing true grit, was able to come on in the stretch to win by one and one quarter lengths in 1:59.1. Noplay was second with Western Phil third.
Last year, Wildriverbumblebee set the track record in the championship final and now has added his second title. The son of Sportswriter, trained by Francis Richard for owner/breeder Dr. John Bradbury of Cookshire-Eaton, posted his third straight win and fifth victory in just seven starts this year. He paid $6.80 to win.
Three-Year-Old Filly Pace C$65,000Final – After three lead changes by the opening quarter mile, YS Tallia and driver Daniel Dube took control of the race from the 1-5 favourite, Yaris Bayama (Sylvain Filion), and kept the lead the rest of the way to win by two and one-half lengths in 1:58.4 over Yaris Bayama. Kinnderuntouchable (Justin Filion) was third.
Unraced at age two, the victory was the fourth win of the year for YS Tallia. The daughter of Western Ideal is trained by Michel Allard – and was bred and is owned by Yves Sarrazin of La Presentation – and paid $7.20 to win.
Three-Year-Old Colt Trot $65,000 Final – Capteur De Reve and driver Daniel Dube captured the championship final for the second straight year with an easy 2:00.1 triumph. Following 16-1 pacesetter Bastiano (Stephane Gendron) from the start, Dube waited until the three-quarter-mile pole to go after Bastiano and cleared on the final turn, then opened up and won by eight and one-quarter lengths over Kinnder Dangerous (Justin Filion). Sometimes When (Guy Gagnon) finished third.
It was the second consecutive win and third victory of the year for the son of Muscle Mass. Capteur De Reve is trained by Maxime Velaye for the Provoquante Stable of Mirabel, who owns and bred the colt. He paid $2.80 to win.
Three-Year-Old Filly Trot $65,000 Final – Magestic M, who was unraced at age two and was winless in eight starts this year, picked the perfect spot to break her maiden, as she produced an upset victory for driver Louis Philippe Roy. Vanilla Star (Richard Simard) had led the field for most of the one-mile race until Roy came first-over with Majestic M in the backstretch. Majestic M wore down Vanilla Star to win by three lengths in 2:03.1. Justice For Eva (Sylvain Filion) was third.
The daughter of Majestic Son is trained by Kevin Maguire. She was bred and is owned by the Maguire Stable of Sainte-Marie. Sent off at odds of 8-1, Magestic M paid $18.30 to win. Race favourite HP Run Like Mom had trouble getting behind the starting gate and was never a factor in the race.
Two-Year-Old Colt Pace $55,000 Final – Stock with driver Stephanie Brosseau were perhaps the most impressive winner of the day. The 1-9 favourite sped out to a quick :27.3 opening quarter mile from Post 2 and then toyed with the field. He opened up in the backstretch and then pulled away with ease to win by 10 open lengths in 1:57.
Phil D’Orleans (Sylvain Filion) was second and G A Speed Sammy (Stephane Gendron) was third. The triumphant mile was the second straight win and fifth victory in six starts for the son of Sportswriter. He is trained by Dany Fontaine, bred by Sotirios Anastaopoulus of Sainte-Therese and co-owned with the Gaetan Bono Stable of Montreal. Stock went off as the overwhelming 1-9 favourite and paid $2.10 to win.
Two-Year-Old Filly Pace $55,000 Final – Despite the ‘sloppy’ track, driver Daniel Dube and Lit De Rose had little trouble with the footing as they led from the start and held the field at bay. They wired their foes and won by five and one-half lengths in 2:02. Katniss S GB (Sylvain Filion) was second. DGs Shadowbell (Jonathan Lachance) was third.
The victory was the third consecutive win in five starts for the daughter of Leader Bayama. Lit De Rose, who is owned and was bred by Guy Corbeil of Mirabel, paid $3.90 to win.
Two-Year-Old Colt Trot $55,000 Final – Both race favourites went off-stride before the start, and therefore it became a wide-open final. Magic Relief (Sylvain Lacaille) led the field until the pocket-sitting Yankee Photo (Pascal Berube) came first-over along the backstretch, although he could not collar Magic Relief.
Meanwhile, Jerome Lombart had Ganymede Lavec on the move along the rail. He swung to the outside and just got up at the wire at odds of 17-1 to win by a three-quarters of a length in 2:07. Yankee Photo was second and Magic Relief was third.
The son of Ganymede was winless in five starts heading into the final for trainer Andreane Lapierre. He is owned and bred by Jerome Lombart of Bromont and paid $36.40 to win.
Two-Year-Old Filly Trot $55,000 Final – Precieuse CC and trainer/driver Claude Beausoleil made a clean sweep of the Future Stars Series, as they led from start to finish in a lifetime-best mile of 2:03.3. They won by three and one-half lengths. Stand For Justice (Sylvain Filion) was second and Papillon Bleu (Peirre Luc Roy) finished third.
The victory was the fourth win in five starts for the daughter of Angus Hall, who is owned by Marie Andree Cournoyer of Chicoutimi. Precieuse CC paid $2.60
Track Notes: Daniel Dube led all drivers with three victories on the program, all in championship finals. Trainer Maxime Velaye had two training wins in the finals, both with Dube driving. Due to the inclement weather, the fastest mile on the day was set in the very first race by Stock, in 1:57. There is no more live racing on Tuesdays. The next live racing card will take place this coming Sunday. Post time will be 12:30 p.m.
To view the harness racing results for Sunday at Hippodrome 3R, click the following link: Sunday Results – Hippodrome 3R.
(Quebec Jockey Club)