Golddiamond extended his unbeaten streak to nine as Hippodrome 3R hosted four $7,500 Trophée Des Éleveurs divisions for three-year-old pacers, which were rescheduled from the cancelled card on Thursday, Sept. 3 to the end of the Sunday, Sept. 6 afternoon program as non-wagering races.
Trained and driven by Stephanie Brosseau, Golddiamond charged to the fore down the backstretch and completed a sweep of his three preliminary round divisions of the Quebec-bred stakes series for sophomore male pacers with a 1:58.2 triumph in the afternoon's finale.
Reve (Simon Delisle) took off ahead of his five foes at the start to secure an early two-length lead heading into the backstretch the first time with Kinnder Colosse (Sylvain Fontaine) catching up in the pocket during the :28 opening panel. Night Off (Francis Picard) gapped in third and Golddiamond followed in fourth.
With his saddlepad number flapping in the wind, Night Off was tipped to the outside but was forced three-wide to get around the front-running Reve when the leader broke stride in the paddock turn. Marching forward despite his equipment malfunction and having to make up the extra ground, Night Off matched strides with Kinnder Colosse, who inherited the top spot before they hit the half in :59.1.
Kinnder Colosse kept on going, taking the field to three-quarters in 1:29.4 but Golddiamond had the new leader in his sights as he launched off the back of the tiring Night Off. Golddiamond swooped past Kinnder Colosse in the final turn and drew off by 3-1/2 lengths in a :28.3 final frame. Bernard (William Roy) closed from the backfield for second and Kinnder Colosse settled for third.
Unraced as a two-year-old, the chestnut gelding by Cattlewash out of Tymal Sugrbabydoll is owned by Robert Bergeron and Chantal Trepanier of Laval, Que. The nine-time winner has earned $21,750 to date.
Wicked Buddy Buck took the fastest Trophée Des Éleveurs division of the day as he built up an insurmountable lead in the other colt event and cruised home a 1:57.1 winner for driver Pascal Berube.
Wicked Buddy Buck left from the middle of the gate and stacked up his fellow outside leavers behind him in a :28.4 opening panel. Earlier trailer Beach Keepers (Marie-Claude Auger) moved underway from the back of the five-pack in the paddock turn with Panic Ray (Luc-Pierre Roy) getting the jump on him out of third while Wicked Buddy Buck completed the first half in :58.4.
Berube and his 'Buddy' started to open up down the backstretch, building up a 5-1/2-length advantage on the field as they raced to three-quarters in 1:27.1 and that margin was enough to hold off the late-closing Beach Keepers, who was forced to go three-wide as his cover failed to make progress first-up and finished just half a length off the winner. Hunts Speed (Maxime Dinelle) edged out Panic Ray for third.
Trainer Mario Patry shares ownership of the McWicked-Fancy Pants Sandy colt, who posted top three finishes in the first two legs of the series, with Marko & Aline Ferguson of St-Theodore D'Acton, Que. Wicked Buddy Buck picked up his third win of the season in 12 starts and is now five-for-22 lifetime with $21,101 in purse earnings.
Berube also drove the fastest filly in the third leg as Victoria Ray turned back her challengers in a 1:58.2 mile to earn her second preliminary win for trainer David Pilon.
Victoria Ray left from the inside post and lined up her foes in post position order through a :28.4 opener then headed to the half in :58.2 with company coming as Snud Phoenix (Marie-Claude Auger) launched a first-up challenge from fourth, with Delicious Speed (Jessica Turenne) moving second-over.
Snud Phoenix kept the pressure on to three-quarters in 1:27.4 with Delicious Speed fanning out wide turning for home, but Victoria Ray dug in through the stretch to win by 1-1/4 lengths. Delicious Speed nabbed the runner-up honours in a place photo, besting pocket-pursuer Esmeralda Duc Lac (Pierre-Luc Roy), who showed up in passing lane.
Victoria Ray improved to four-for-six in her sophomore season after a winless two-year-old campaign and now has $14,267 earned for owners Johanne Dechamplain and Steve Perreault of Mont Joli, Que.
Chezmatante Du Lac prevailed off a perfect pocket trip in other filly division to lower her lifetime mark to 1:59.2 for trainer Marc-Andre Simoneau.
Driver Pierre-Luc Roy secured the pocket position for Chezmatante Du Lac and followed hot on the heels of quick-leaving Taylor Desbi (Pascal Berube) through opening numbers of :29 and :59 with a gap back to the rest. Kenogami Delight (Stephane Brosseau) looped into the gaping three-hole just past the half and followed the top two tightly as three-quarters was clocked in 1:28.1.
As the field turned for home, Chezmatante Du Lac was given her cue by Roy and took off to score by nearly two lengths with Taylor Desbi holding on for second in a photo for place as Kenogami Delight shot up in the inside lane in the drive to the wire.
After going two-for-three in Quebec-bred stakes action as a rookie, Chezmatante Du Lac found her way back to victory lane in her 13th sophomore start. A career winner of $27,585, the daughter of Cattlewash out of Signet is owned by Louis-Philippe Roy Racing of Campbellville, Ont., Jean Allaire of Montreal, Que., Michel Letarte of Boucherville, Que., and Groupe Chezmatante Du Lac of Campbellville, Ont.
During Sunday's regularly scheduled program, trainer Mathieu Desrochers' Butterfly Catcher stepped up to the top distaff class at Hippodrome 3R and wired her foes in a career-best 1:56.3 mile. Butterfly Catcher was partnered with Berube, who had driven the five-year-old mare once before in her last 3R victory on July 23, and they took command right away from post five in the $7,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred Handicap Pace.
The 4-5 favoured Sunshine Beach-Catch A Dragon mare set fractions of :27, :57.2 and 1:27.2 with a clear lead en route to the 2-3/4-length tally over pocket-sitter Sunjet Ray (Antoine Desrochers) with a Kiss Me Bad (Steven Gagnon) taking third after a four-wide move on the backside. The victory was her fourth of the season in a dozen starts and her 12th career triumph.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(Standardbred Canada)