Both track and stakes records fell by the wayside at the Hippodrome 3R during the track's richest day of racing of the 2016 season with $500,000 in total purses for the Super Sunday program (September 4).
The race card featured the finals of the Breeders Cup Series for three-year-old trotters and pacers and the Future Stars Series finals for two-year-old trotters and pacers.
The most impressive of the track records set was by Wildriverbumblebee and driver Louis-Philippe Roy in the $55,000 final for two-year-old pacing colts, as they stopped the teletimer in 1:54.3, the fastest two-year-old mile ever in the history of the Hippodrome 3R.
The eighth race finale saw Yogi Bayama and driver Sylvain Filion fire out from post six to take the early lead with the 3-5 favourite Makasi (Stephane Brosseau) grabbing the two-hole spot as they sped to the opening quarter-mile in :27.1.
Then on to the half-mile in :56.4 and that was when the action began to heat up as Roy and Wildriverbumblebee came first-over and shot right by Yogi Bayama in the backstretch with Brosseau moving right along with Makasi.
They raced to the three-quarters in 1:25.4 and then Wildriverbumblebee scooted away from Makasi and opened up in the stretch to win going away in a romp by six open lengths. Makasi held for second-place with Yogi Bayama third.
Unable to beat Makasi in the last two legs of the series, Wildriverbumblebee was at his best Sunday, shattering Makasi’s former track and stakes record of 1:55.2 set two weeks ago.
The win was the second this year from five starts for the son of Sportswriter, who is trained, owned and was bred by Dr. John Bradbury of Cookshire-Eaton, Que. Wildriverbumblebee paid $10.80 to win.
The third race $65,000 final for three-year-old trotting colts saw last year’s series champion and track record holder Wildwild Men and driver Robert Shepherd shoot to the early lead over Holiday Party (Pascal Berube) and cut a torrid first-quarter of :27.4, then a 30-second breather to the half-mile marker in :57.4.
Tuscans Memory (Sylvain Filion) then tried a first-over move in the backstretch to no avail as they passed the three-quarters in 1:27.4. It was then that Berube pulled the pocket with Holiday Party and came after Wildwild Men, collaring him by the top of the stretch and then came home to win in track record time of 1:58.2 by one and one-quarter lengths. KFB Amigo Cool (Stephane Brosseau) was able to close well for second-place with Wildwild Men third.
The win was the eighth in 13 starts this year for Holiday Party. The gelded son of Holiday Road rewrote the track record that he set earlier this season and was co-held with Seeyou Men (2015). He is trained by Dany Fontaine for owner Ecurie Gaetan Bono Inc. of Montreal, Que. Holiday Party paid $11.60 to win. He was bred by Jean Cloutier of Stanstead, Que., and Berto Stable of Montreal.
Since HP Patriote could not read the odds board to see his rival, Sports Authority, was the overwhelming 1-5 favourite, he went into the ninth race $65,000 final for three-year-old pacing colts with no worries and raced that way for driver Guy Gagnon.
The gelded son of Vintage Master sported 10 wins in 12 starts this year and raced just like his record showed.
Sports Authority and driver Sylvain Filion took the early lead away from D Gs Ninja (Jonathan Lachance) by the opening quarter-mile in :28 and seemed comfortable on the lead going to the half-mile in :57.2, but Gagnon and HP Patriote were geared up on the outside first-over from the start and had other plans.
With tons of momentum, Gagnon sent HP Patriote after Sports Authority and shot right by the race leader to the three-quarters in 1:25.1 and they never looked back, pulling away in the stretch for his 11th win on the season in a two and one-half length triumph in 1:55. Sports Authority held for second with Mr Mach Jimmy (Pascal Berube) third.
Trained by Gerald Demers, HP Patriote is co-owned by Les Ecuries GLD Inc. with Claude Hamel and was bred by Hamel with Celine Paquin. HP Patriote paid $5.90 to win.
The fifth race $65,000 final for three-year-old pacing fillies saw HP Sissy easily handle her seven rivals in rein to Mario Baillargeon, leading from start to finish, winning by three and one-quarter lengths in a stakes record 1:55.4. Only entrymate HP Pandora (Louis-Philippe Roy) could keep somewhat close to the race leader. Imagine Speed (Stephane Gendron) was third.
The win was the fourth win this year in 15 starts for the daughter of Up The Credit. HP Sissy is trained by Ben Baillargeon for breeder Claude Hamel, who co-owns the filly with Michel Damphousse. She paid $2.80 to win.
In the second race $55,000 final for two-year-old pacing fillies, the first stakes races of the day, Yonkers Raceway star and Trois-Riviere native, Daniel Dube pulled off an upset with his Queen Elsa over 1-5 favourite Yaris Bayama (Sylvain Filion).
Dube sent the homebred daughter of Rock N Roll Heaven right to the lead from the rail and never looked back, cutting fractions of :28, :57.4 and 1:27, and then winning by three-quarters of a length over D Gs Elsa (Jonathan Lachance) in 1:57.
Yaris Bayama, who started from the outside in post eight, had road trouble and never got into the race until she made a three-wide move in the backstretch to get into third-place, but it was too little too late.
The 1:57 winning time was a lifetime mark for Queen Elsa, who is trained by Yves Tessier, and her time was just one-fifth of a second from the track and stakes record of 1:56.4 that was set by Yaris Bayama two weeks ago. Queen Elsa paid $8.40 to win.
Dube did not come home to 3R just to visit family as he also won the fourth race, the $55,000 final for two-year-old trotting colts with Capteur De Reve.
After an early battle to the opening quarter against Sometimes When (Guy Gagnon), Dube settled Capteur De Reve on the lead for good, leading the pack the rest of the one-mile race and winning by two and three-quarter lengths in 2:02.2. The pocket-sitting Sometimes When was second with Yoan Bayama (Yves Filion) third.
The win was the third this season from six starts for Capteur De Reve. The son of Muscle Mass is trained by Maxime Velaye for owner/breeder Ecurie Provoquante of Mirabel, Que. He paid $3.20 to win.
Dube continued his winning ways in the sixth race $65,000 Breeders Cup Finale for three-year-old trotting fillies, giving Y A Jailhouse Jodi a perfect second-over trip and a trip to the winner’s circle.
Éclair Chocolat (Mario Baillargeon) led the field with Y S Suzanne (Carl Duguay) sitting the pocket trip and Artemis Duharas (Pierre Bovay) hung first-over to the opening quarter-mile in :29.2.
All the while, Dube had Y A Jailhouse Jodi sitting second-over and poised to strike out. That came in the backstretch and Y A Jailhouse Jodi moved three-wide and cleared to the lead with ease before drawing off to win by three lengths in 2:01.
Sired by Andover Hall, Y A Jailhouse Jody earned her sixth win this year from 12 starts. She is trained by Michel Allard, is co-owned by Yves Sarrazin and Rene Allard, and was bred by Al Libfeld. She paid $7.40 to win.
The $55,000 final of the Future Stars Series for two-year-old trotting fillies saw Joyce Lavec and driver Pascal Berube take control of the race from Taurus P V (Stephane Brosseau) after the opening quarter-mile and then held the field at bay, winning by one length in 2:04.4. Affirmee (Daniel Dube) was able to close for second-place with Muscle Do (Gaetan Lamy) third.
Sired by Mr Lavec, Joyce Lavec earned her fourth win in just five career starts. She is trained by Dany Fontaine for owner/breeder Jean Berthiaume and Investissement K F B of Sorel-Tracy, Que. This race was a non-wagering event.
TRACK NOTES: Daniel Dube, Pascal Berube and Guy Gagnon each had three driving winners on the day, but all three of Dube’s wins were in the Quebec-Bred Series finals. Dany Fontaine was the top trainer on the afternoon sending out two winners from his stable.
Owner Claude Hamel reaped the most rewards on Sunday as he was the owner or co-owner of two stakes winners on the afternoon.
Live racing will resume next Sunday at the Hippodrome 3R, with first race post time at 1:30 p.m.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from QJC)
Félicitations à tout la
Félicitations à tout la connection de Wildriverbumblebee Àvec un record de piste wôw!! Congrats to the connection great horse track record boom just like that !!