from the Quebec Jockey Club

Trois-Rivieres, PQ — Driver Stephane Gendron switched tactics with Caroluzzo and it paid off as they held off a strong closing effort in the passing lane by Four Starz Speed to win the Invitational Trot at the Hippodrome 3R Tuesday evening (June 27).

The sixth race feature saw Four Starz Speed and trainer/driver Kevin Maguire get parked by Caroluzzo before grabbing the lead by the opening quarter in :28.4. Gendron then moved back to the front with Theregoesthegroom (Denis Filion) stalking them in third place.

Past the half-mile marker in :59.1, Filion then came first-over with Theregoesthegroom, rating him on the outside just like he did last week in a winning effort. They went to the three-quarters in 1:30.1.

Then in the sprint to the wire, Theregoesthegroom was running out of gas, but Maguire then shot up the passing lane with Four Starz Speed, looked Caroluzzo in the eye, but Caroluzzo was the stronger horse and held on to win by a half-length in 2:00. Theregoesthegroom was third.

It was the third time this year that Caroluzzo has won the Invitational Trot. The last time was on May 14, when he also wired the field.

An 8-year-old chestnut stallion by Musclesextrodinair, Caroluzzo is owned and was bred by Michael Cote Gagnon and paid $3.80 to win.

Winning by the length of the stretch took place Tuesday by both Giddy Up Blackfly (Pierre-Luc Roy) in the first race pace by ten lengths in 1:56.3, then in the third race trot, HP Run Like Mom (Stephane Brosseau) crushed the field by 19-1/4 lengths in a lifetime mark of 2:00.4.

Stephane Gendron had the hot hands in the sulky Tuesday, scoring three winners on the card.

The race favorite won in the first eight of the nine races on the program.

This coming Sunday (July 2) will be the opening round of the C$220,000 Breeders Cup Series for 3-year-old colt and filly pacers. They will compete in three preliminary rounds with the top eight point earners returning on Sept. 3 for their respective C$65,000 finals.

First race post time on Sunday is 12:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.quebecjockeyclub.com.