Driver Marie-Claude Auger was red hot at Hippodrome 3R on Friday, Sept. 6, winning half of the 10 races on the program, including the co-features. Auger earned her five wins from just six drives on the card.
In the co-featured sixth race, a $4,000 conditioned pace, Auger and Eataams Sportsbaby (pictured above) swept three-wide from second-over in the backstretch to three-quarters and still had enough momentum racing wide through the turn to beat pacesetter BS Tyrrific (Francis Picard) by a length in 1:55.4. Odds On Carmel (Sylvain Fontaine) was third.
The win was the sixth this year from 22 starts for Eataams Sportsbaby. The eight-year-old Sportswriter gelding is owned and trained by Denis Audet. He paid $14 to win.
In the 10th race $4,000 co-feature, it was déjà vu for Auger as she was second-over with American Zestar, who never saw the pylons, and swept three-wide in the backstretch to go head-to-head against pacesetter Cyclone Joe (Sylvain Lacaille) by the three-quarters. Those two battled around the final turn and down the stretch with the pocket-sitting Little Diamond (William Roy) joining the fight to the finish line. American Zestar won by a neck over Cyclone Joe in 1:57.1 with Little Diamond third.
American Zestar earned his third win of the season from 25 starts. The five-year-old American Ideal gelding is trained by Louis-Philippe Turcotte for owners Steve Perreault and Johanne Dechamplain. He paid $10.40 to win.
Auger also won with the Audet-trained pacer American Colt N ($5.90) in a 17-length romp as well as sophomore pacer Sundance Leyo ($2.20) for Arianne Girard and pacing mare Silent Voices ($7.50) for the Nancy Gouin stable.
It was the first time this season that Auger had five winners on a race program. Pascal Berube is the only other driver to have achieved that feat at the 3R meet.
With 62 victories so far this year, Auger is just five off her career-high mark she set in 2019. She now boasts 620 wins lifetime.
Live harness racing resumes on Sunday at 12 noon with the 12-race Super Sunday Quebec Championship program. With $508,000 offered in total purses, it will be the richest day of horse racing in Quebec.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)