from the Quebec Jockey Club

Trois-Rivieres, QC — American Wiggle, in his debut at the Hippodrome 3R on Opening Day Sunday (April 29), gave notice to his 29 competitors in the C$200,000 Prix D’Ete later this season that he is ready for action with an impressive score in the Invitational Handicap Pace.

Mother Nature was not cooperative as constant rains made the track sloppy with a three-second allowance. It was the sixth opening day at H3R for the Quebec Jockey Club that purchased the track in 2012. The grounds were first developed for horse racing back in 1830.

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American Wiggle won going away by four lengths in 1:59.4 over the sloppy track.

The seventh race co-feature pace saw D J Power (Pierre Luc Roy) determined to take the early lead but was parked out by El Torero (Denis Audet) to the opening quarter-mile in :28.1. Then Ninoscredit and driver Maxim Gaudreault tried coming first-over against D J Power to no avail as they passed the half-mile marker in :58.4. As they came off that turn was when driver Stephane Brosseau moved to the outside with American Wiggle and the complexion of the race changed.

Brosseau moved three-wide with American Wiggle and by the three-quarters in 1:28.3, they were able to get a minor breather behind pacesetter D J Power. Then on the final turn, Brosseau came out again with American Wiggle to challenge D J Power and they blew by them in the stretch to win going away by four lengths in 1:59.4 over the sloppy track. El Torero was third.

It was the first start of the year and first start ever at the Hippodrome 3R for American Wiggle. The 4-year-old gelded son of American Ideal is trained and co-owned by Daniel Martin of St Barnabe Nord with Gaston Bibeau of Sorel-Tracy. American Wiggle paid $4.20 to win.

For defending leading driver from last year, Stephane Brosseau, the eighth race Invitational Handicap Trot capped the afternoon as he won it with a tough Torches Angel in 2:03.

It was R Rkadabra and driver Pierre Luc Roy that led the field early on, tripping the opening quarter timer in :29.1 with Torches Angel following his cover. Then Brosseau came first-over after the half-mile in 1:01 with Rocky Boy (Marc Bellanger) following their second-over cover. Torches Angel was able to clear to the lead by the three-quarters in 1:32.2 but Rocky Boy kept the pressure on around the final turn and in the stretch until Torches Angel kicked in another gear and won with ease by two lengths. Rocky Boy was second and Holiday Party (Pascal Berube) finished third.

For Torches Angel, one of only two mares in the field against older horses, it was the third win this year for trainer Yves Tessier and owner Francois Morin of Beauceville, QC, paying $4.10 to win.

The victory was the third winner on the day for Stephane Brosseau, who led all drivers on the wet afternoon.

Track Notes: The first race pace saw Machin A Trick and driver Pierre Luc Roy, the older brother of Canada’s top driver, Louis-Philippe Roy, lead from start to finish over the sloppy track, digging in throughout the stretch to win by a neck over race favorite Fortune Fella in 2:01.2 and paid $5.80 to win.

Trainer Manon Lamothel was the only trainer to send out two winners on the day, both driven by Daniel LaFlamme.

For more information, visit www.quebecjockeyclub.com. Live racing resumes next Sunday (May 6), first race post time at 12:50 p.m.