In her last start on Sept. 15, two-year-old pacing filly Behavenmyself was a maiden, having yet to win a race in seven starts. Less than two minutes after the start of her eighth race, history was made.
Competing in the opening round of the new Quebec Plus Series at H3R, Behavenmyself and driver Pascal Berube tore off after the lead and got it by the opening quarter and duo never looked back, winning in a romp by ten-plus lengths in 1:56.2.
The clocking made for a new track record for two-year-old pacing fillies and now Behavenmyself is back for the second round of the series and race fans will be out to see if she can repeat her track record effort.
Sired by Badlands Hanover, Behavenmyself will start from post five for trainer and co-owner Gerald Demers of GLD Inc. of St-Andre-Avelin, who selected the filly last year at the London Selected Yearling Sale.
“Last year, in London, I bought this filly by Badlands Hanover,” Demers said. “My girlfriend and I every year let ourselves be seduced by one of the yearlings in the sale. In 2017, it was her, Behavenmyself, and I paid $15,000 to get her.
“My friend Jean-Roch (Marois) had told me before the auction that he would go in with me for the colt or filly of my choice,” Demers explained. “I liked her conformation very much. She was already 18 months old and built like a racehorse.
“In addition, I have had a lot of success in the past with the Badlands Hanovers as older horses,” Demers continued, “but I had never had a young colt or filly by this stallion.
"It was me who trained her early on and because she had a lot of stakes in Ontario,” Demers said. “I sent her to my sister-in-law, Isabelle Darveau, for the racing season. The successes, I must admit, were below expectations, which explains why we decided to register her for H3R in the new Québec Plus Series...a move that we do not regret, of course.
“She's not a big eater, except when she's at home,” Demers explained. “We must believe that she was used to us and she had difficulty adapting to the outside. One thing is certain, here she is in good shape and should make another big mile on Sunday.”
It’s won’t be a walk in the park this week for Behavenmyself. Starting from post eight is the Mach Three colt, Dernier Essai, who was a strong winner last week for trainer Maxime Velaye. He wired the field in 1:58.2 and will be driven again by Pierre Luc Roy. Other contenders include Angelo Benjo (post six) and Esprit Dequipe (post one).
For one of the few times this season there is a Preferred Pace just for mares in the fourth race and featured are two of the best mares to have raced at 3R this season. Rainbow Palace will be taking on Wild River Swan in a rare meeting of the quality race mares.
Rainbow Palace is perhaps the top pacing mares at 3R. The last few seasons she has raced mainly against the top male pacers at the track with good success. She starts from post three for driver Francis Picard and last week was able to wire the field at 3R in 1:55.1.
Wild River Swan starts alongside Rainbow Palace in post four and will be driven by Jocelyn Gendron. She is the full sister to Quebec Champion Wildriverbumblebee and has won three of her last four starts and two-in-a-row at 3R.
Last week the daughter of Sportswriter wired the field in the finals of the Quebec Regional Fair Circuit in 1:57 and the prior week also won in 1:56.4.
There is also a Handicap Preferred Trot in race eight that features past winners Capteur De Reve (post three), Rocky Boy (post two) and two return winners moving up in class, R Rkadabra (post six) and Missionoftheheart (post seven), who is going for her fourth straight win.
All the action at 3R gets underway at 12:50 pm. For a free race program, visit quebecjockeyclub.com. For entries, click the following link: Sunday Entries - Hippodrome 3R.
(with files from the Quebec Jockey Club)