from the Quebec Jockey Club

Trois-Rivieres, QC — Harness racing driver Guy Gagnon came into the Hippodrome 3R needing just two victories to score his 5,000th career win and it took him until the last race on the Tuesday (July 10) program to get the job done.

In the fourth race trot he was able to win with ease aboard Irish Master ($3.80) in 2:03.3. It was a romp as they won by 9-1/4 lengths.

thephotodesk.ca photo

Guy Gagnon celebrates his 5,000th career victory with family and friends.

Then Gagnon had to wait until the eight race, the last on the program to get the job done. He was driving Evergreen Artist ($5.00) and they left from post six and led from start to finish, winning with ease by 3-3/4 lengths in a lifetime best clocking of 1:55.

“This horse was just bought and it was its first start with the trainer (Francis Richard),” Gagnon explained. “He said that the horse was ready and it was.”

“Five thousand victories you do not that alone,” Gagnon said. “I must thank all of the trainers who gave me the drives over the years. I feel very proud and thank everyone who has supported me in my career.”

It was just two weeks ago that driver Simon Delisle scored a big upset with his trotting mare and sure enough he was able to do it again at the Hippodrome 3R Tuesday evening.

With a change in tactics from her previous start, trainer/driver Simon Delisle and Eau Naturelle was able to again beat race favorite Y S Suzanne and driver Gagnon in the third and final leg of the Quebec-Bred Series.

Now the 4- and 5-year-old trotters must wait until Thursday, (Aug. 9) when the top eight-point earners in the series return to H3R for their respective $C30,000 finals.

In the third race division for mares, Delisle went to the lead with Eau Naturelle instead of looking for cover to come off of later in the race as he had done in his last two starts.
With Y S Suzanne on their back in the two-hole, Delisle and Eau Naturelle led the field past the opening quarter in :30.3 and that was when driver Stephanie Brosseau came first-over with and pressed to the half mile in a mild 1:01.3.

Brosseau kept the pressure on Eau Naturelle and they raced as a team going into the backstretch. Then Gagnon pulled out from being Delisle with Y S Suzanne and began to follow HP Run Like Mom and then tipped three-wide and looped around HP Run Like Mom as they passed the three-quarters in 1:31.2.

Around the final turn Gagnon tried to gain ground on Delisle but could not. Delisle and Eau Naturelle were strong in the stretch and won with ease by 2-1/4 lengths in 2:00.3. Y S Suzanne was second with Linda’s Jewel (Mario Lachance) third.

Last time out Eau Naturelle beat Y S Suzanne at odds of 22-1. This time it was at odds of 6-1. It was the third win in eight starts this year for the 5-year-old daughter of Windsong Espoir. She is owned by Chantal Auger, Raymond Bouffard, Rejean Page and Anne Delisle. She paid $15.10 to win.

The last time Eau Naturelle and Delisle drew the rail post position as she started from tonight, she also won, leading from start to finish.

Delisle scored an even bigger upset victory in the very next race, winning with Scout Says at 14-1, paying $31.50 to win.

In the horse division of the Quebec-Bred Series, the rivalry continued between Kinnder Dangerous and Capteur De Reve.

The sixth race co-feature began with Kinnder Dangerous and driver Justin Filion shooting out to the early lead with Holiday Party (Pascal Berube) following their cover in second place to the opening quarter mile in :29.

Then as they came to half mile in 1:00.1, driver Pierre Luc Roy came first-over started moving toward the race leaders. Roy did not charge up and try to pass Kinnder Dangerous. He just allowed Capteur De Reve to sit alongside Filion until the three-quarters in 1:28.4.

It was then that Filion asked Kinnder Dangerous for more and Capteur De Reve was not only able to match his speed but was also gaining ground.

Coming down the stretch it was a two-horse race, neck and neck, head and head to the finish with Capteur De Reve the strong horse, winning by a neck in 1:58.4. Orlys Dream (Mario Lachance) was third.

In four meetings this season, the score is tied with both horses having beaten each other twice.

For Capteur De Reve, a 4-year-old gelded son of Muscle Mass, it was his second win in five starts this year. He is trained by Maxime Velaye for owner/breeder Ecurie Provoquante of Mirabel, paying $6.30 to win.

Track Notes: Requested ($3.60) became the winningest horse at H3R this season, scoring his fifth win in the seventh race for driver Francis Picard. Live racing resumes at H3R on Sunday, first race post time at 12:50 p.m. For a free race program, visit www.quebecjockeyclub.com.