Hippodrome 3R hosted the Quebec-Bred Championships for two and three-year-old trotters and pacers with close to $500,000 in purses up for grabs on Super Sunday, Sept. 8
For the 12-race card on Sunday, the total handle of $334,655 was an all-time track record handle, surpassing the Super Sunday card last year by $11,236.
$55,000 Two-Year-Old Colt Pace
The Magic Moment lived up to his name for driver Jonathan Lachance with a victory in the first divisional championship on the card. The Control The Moment-Wind River Cat colt was parked out from the opening quarter as 15-1 shot HP Bellissimo (Robert Shepherd) cut fractions. The Magic Moment kept gaining on the race leader, collaring him in the stretch before winning by three-quarters of a length in a career-best 1:58.3 mile. HP Bellissimo was second with the pocket-sitting Changement Detemps (Stephane Brosseau) third.
The Magic Moment earned his third win -- all in the Quebec-bred series -- from five starts and boosted his bankroll over $40,000. He is trained by Francis Guillemette for breeder Gestion A & a Belanger Inc. and co-owner Cynthia Cote Dupont of Shawinigan, Que. He paid $2.50 to win as the overwhelming race favourite.
$55,000 Two-Year-Old Filly Trot
Kinnder Kahina and driver Robert Shepherd journeyed first-over against race favourite Chic Choc Rose (Marie-Claude Auger) after the opening quarter-mile, took the lead by the three-quarters mark and then held off Soleo (Stephane Brosseau) to win by one length in 2:05.2. Miche Charm (Guy Gagnon) recovered from an early break to finish third.
Trained, owned and bred by Denitza Petrova of Melbourne, Que., the Northern Escort-Witch Way filly notched her second win from seven starts and now has $35,571 in purse earnings. Sent postward at odds of 6-1, she paid $15.60 to win.
$55,000 Two-Year-Old Filly Pace
For the second straight stakes start, Mirabel Enfete and driver Stephane Brosseau went down the road. This time the Leader Bayama-Eloge filly kept race favourite Silver Majesty (Denis St. Pierre) parked out for three-quarters of a mile and maintained her lead right to the wire for a one-length triumph in a new mark of 1:59. Silver Majesty was second with the pocket-sitting Justine Ray (Pascal Berube) third.
Mirabel Enfete, who is two-for-four with $31,625 banked, is trained by Maxime Velaye for owner/breeder Guy Corbeil of Mirabel, Que. She paid $10.40 to win as the 4-1 fourth choice in the wagering.
$55,000 Two-Year-Old Colt Trot
Mass Speed and driver Denis St. Pierre took no prisoners from the start as they led the field, pulling away by nearly four lengths at the three-quarters and then winning by six open lengths in a career best 2:03. Cleveland Z Flash (Robert Shepherd) was second with Big Bank (Louis-Philippe Roy) third.
Mass Speed earned his second straight win and third overall from five outings. The homebred Muscle Mass-Missionoftheheart gelding is owned and trained by Michel Allard of Saint-Esprit, Que. He paid $3.80 to win as the bettors' choice.
$65,000 Three-Year-Old Filly Pace
One More Bet, driven by Daniel Dube, was the overwhelming 1-9 race favourite and raced that way. She went first-over against 28-1 shot D Gs Lorijeanne (Jonathan Lachance), cleared to the lead after the half-mile in :57 and then tore away from the field, winning in a romp by 8-3/4 llengths in 1:55.2. D Gs Lorijeanne was second with Amour (Sylvain Lacaille), the longest shot on the board at 79-1, picking up third.
A winner in two preliminary legs of the series, One More Bet is now four-for-15 on the season. The homebred daughter of All Bets Off and P L Kahluaa is trained by Jean Tourigny for Les Ecuries Morel Inc. of Mirabel, Que. She is now a career winner of seven races with $155,754 banked through 25 starts. One More Bet returned just $2.10 to win and $2.10 to place. There was no show wagering.
$65,000 Three-Year-Old Filly Trot
Cleomax Duharas and catch-driver Louis-Philippe Roy turned a second-over trip into first-over and then wore down race leader MVPs Daughter (Jerome Lombart) in the stretch to win by one length in 2:02. MVPs Daughter held for second with HP Agathe (Pascal Berube) nearly seven lengths back in third.
Cleomax Duharas posted her fourth win in her last five starts for local trainer Marc-Andre Simoneau, who co-owns the Muscle Mass-Cleopatre Duharas filly with Desjardins Noreau Stable of Quebec City, Dany Fontaine of St-Louis De Gonzague and Jean Fontaine of Trois-Rivieres, Que. She was bred by Haras De L Estrie Inc. Unraced as a two-year-old, Cleomax Duharas has earned $45,560 from her seven career starts. The race favourite paid $2.60 to win.
$65,000 Three-Year-Old Colt Pace
Boomboom Tonight became the only horse in this year's finals to have won the championship at age two and three. With driver Pascal Berube in the sulky, Boomboom Tonight shot to the early lead despite a hard rain that started in the post parade. Boomboom Tonight held the field at bay the entire mile, pulling away at the three-quarters in 1:27.4 and the pouring it on in the stretch to win in a 9-3/4-length romp in 1:56.4. Kinnder Reptile (Marie-Claude Auger) was second with Olaf Du Lac (Louis-Philippe Roy) third.
Boomboom Tonight swept his division of the series and is now five-for-11 this year with 10 victories overall, good for $87,924 in career earnings. The son of Sportswriter out of Rapid Tonight was bred and is owned and trained by Elisabeth Pothier of St-Christophe-D’Arthabask, Que. The popular winner returned $2.50 to his backers at the betting windows.
Boomboom Tonight and driver Pascal Berube with trainer Elisabeth Pothier and partner Denis Blouin.
$65,000 Three-Year-Old Colt Trot
Captain PV (top photo) had been dominant in the series and for the championship, he got a very patience drive from Marie-Claude Auger, sitting on the rail in the two-hole. By the top of the stretch, race favourite Paradise Moni (Denis St. Pierre) bore to the outside, giving Captain PV enough room to squeeze through and just beat 40-1 longshot Drinklikehenry (William Roy) by three-quarters of a length in 2:02.4. Wild Dream Men (Guy Gagnon) finished third over Paradise Moni.
After going winless as a freshman, Captain PV has won seven of his last eight starts for trainer Serge Nadeau, who co-owns the Wheeling N Dealin-Dolly P V gelding with Ecuries Y Corriveau Inc. of Quebec City. His lifetime earnings climbed to $61,844. The second pick by the punters, Captain PV paid $4.30 to win.
Invitationals
The first of the four $6,500 Invitationals on Sunday's undercard was the the first race for trotters and 1-9 favourite Royalty Beer and driver Louis-Philippe Roy quarter-moved to retake the lead from X O X O (Simon Allard) and then romped to a 5-1/2-length victory in 1:57.4. Treasured Tee (Mario Baillargeon) was second with Rose Run Why Not (Guy Gagnon) third.
The win was the third this year from 20 starts for the five-year-old Royalty For Life-Beer Maggs gelding, who is a homebred for trainer Jean-Francois Maguire of Saint-Marie, Que. The former Quebec champion is a 17-time winner with earnings approaching the $300,000 mark. He paid just $2.10 to win.
In a Quebec-bred special for three-year-old pacers, a first-over 14-1 shot HP Game On and driver Antoine Desrochers parked 1-9 favourite Classic Jim (Guy Gagnon) three-wide from after the half-mile until the three-quarters and still held him off for the upset win by one length in a career-best 1:58.1 mile. Delgero (Jonathan Lachance) rounded out the top three.
HP Game On, who has won three of his 17 starts in his debut racing season, is trained and owned by Guillaume Desrochers of Warwick, Que. The McWicked-Lisbella gelding returned $31.60 to win.
In the Mares Invitational Pace, return winner Rec Time with driver Simon Allard moved first-over before the half-mile against pacesetter Shanghaibluebeach (William Roy) and grinded it out for a one-length triumph in 1:55.2. YS Sensationalcity (Daniel Dube) was second with Beauty Is Blind (Louis-Philippe Roy) more than seven lengths back in third.
The win was sixth (consecutive) this year from 19 starts and 20th victory overall for the four-year-old Huntsville-Ms Malicious mare with a bankroll totalling $288,828. She is trained by Michel Allard for owner Danielle Henri of Saint-Esprit, Que. Rec Time paid $2.50 to win.
The final race of the day was the Invitational Pace, with Light The Torch pulling off a 13-1 upset in rein to Pascal Berube. Light The Torch stalked second-over and tracked down 1-5 favourite The Light Speed (Guy Gagnon) by a nose in 1:56.2, with early leader and 5-2 second choice Twin B Powerball (Louis-Philippe Roy) a neck back in third.
Light The Torch earned his third straight win and eighth victory on the year from 21 starts. The four-year-old Always B Miki-Surfer Chick gelding is trained by Marc-Andre Simoneau, who co-owns with Jean Fontaine. His 14th career win bumped his bankroll to $82,529. Light The Torch paid $29 for a $2 win ticket.
Live harness racing resumes at 3R next Friday, Sept. 13, which will be the last Friday twilight card of the 2024 season. First race post time is 4 p.m.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)