from the Quebec Jockey Club

Trois-Rivieres, PQ — The unbeaten win streak this year by Intouchable is no more as the 3-year-old trotter went off-stride after the start of the first race at the Hippodrome 3R on Wednesday (July 15).

Touted as perhaps “untouchable” after his easy victories in the first two rounds of the C$200,000 Quebec-Bred Series, Intouchable and driver Mario Charron went on the gallop after the start and could not get back on-stride and were distanced in the race.

Photodesk.ca photo

Seeyou Men was a 1:59.3 winner for Robert Shepherd.

Intouchable’s first loss in 2015 was a big gain for Seeyou Men, who started from post three for driver Robert Shepherd, went right to the lead, then held the field at bay through fractions of :28.3, :59.3 and 1:29.4 before opening up on the field, winning in a romp by 5-1/4 lengths in 1:59.3. Promesses Imperial (Jerome Lombart) was second with Champagne Panic (Denis Filion) third.

It was the second win in just three lifetime starts and a lifetime mark for Seeyou Men. The gelded son of Muscle Mass is trained by Isabelle Darveau for owners Catheline Pelletier and Chantal Gravel and paid $9.70 to win.

In the seventh race filly division, a bulky field of ten starters went behind the starting gate and it was National Trace and driver Stephane Brosseau who was the first on the lead as race favorite Double Chance (Sylvain Lacaille) went off-stride.

National Trace led to the opening quarter in :29.2, then gave way to a stubborn Meganou (Jocelyn Gendron), who took the field to the half-mile marker in :59.3 and looked to be in total control of the race. Then right at the three-quarters in 1:30.2, Meganou went off-stride, giving the easy lead back to National Trace.

But stalking the field in third place most of the mile was D Espoir and driver Pascal Berube and at the top of the stretch they came after stablemate National Trace, collared them in mid-stretch and came on to win by a half-length in 2:03.3. Chamane (Simon Delisle) was third.

Both D Espoir and National Trace are trained by Dany Fontaine and owned by Ecurie Gaetan Bono, Inc. D Espoir is also co-owned by the Berto Stables. It was the first win in two starts this year for the daughter of Windsong Espoir. She paid $8.50 to win.

Coming up this Sunday at the Hippodrome 3R will be the C$250,000 third round of the Quebec-Bred Series for 3-year-old pacers. For more information visit www.quebecjockeyclub.com.