by harness racing publicists across North America

The Sunday (July 15) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Hippodrome 3R and Saratoga Casino Hotel.

Hudson Phil sets track record at H3R

Trois-Rivieres, QC — With sunny skies and warm temperatures, the conditions were perfect for a harness racing track record to be set at the Hippodrome 3R Sunday July 15) and Hudson Phil made it happen. In the opening round first division of the Breeders Cup Series for 3-year-old pacing colts, Hudson Phil put on a show of speed with a four-length romp in 1:53.2 for driver Stephane Brosseau.

thephotodesk.ca photo

Hudson Phil sets a new track record of 1:53.2 at H3R on Sunday afternoon.

The third race got underway with Kinnder Jackson (Justin Filion) and Play Jet Hay (Guy Gagnon) battling for the early lead. Filion was able to clear to the front with Kinnder Jackson and then Gagnon came right back to take control with Play Jet Hay in :26.4 for the opening quarter-mile.

Then it was Hudson Phil’s turn to speed things up. As they came off the second turn, Play Jet Hay bared out and made a slight break in stride and allowed just enough room for Brosseau to squeeze between the two horses and take the lead to the half-mile marker in :55.2.

With Kinnder Jackson in second place, Gagnon continued on the outside with Play Jet Bay and pressed Hudson Phil to the three-quarters in 1:23.4. Then by the stretch drive, Play Jet Bay had enough and began to fade as Hudson Phil went on to win by 3-1/2 lengths.

The prior record for a 3-year-old colt was 1:54.1, set by Eveil Dun Champion in 2014. The gelding record was not broken as that is still held by Duc D’Orleans at 1:52.4 in 2013. This was the first track record to be broken this season at H3R.

A son of Shanghai Phil, Hudson Phil is trained by Mark Steacy and was bred and is owned by the Hudson Standardbred Stable of Hudson. Hudson Phil paid $2.70 to win. He was a winner of $171,000 last year and this was his second win in eight starts this year.

The 1:53.2 clocking was the fastest mile this year at H3R.

The ninth race second division of the Breeders Cup Series for colts saw last year’s champion, Stock, wire the field with ease for driver Stephane Brosseau. Stock went right to the lead from post five and held the field at bay through the opening quarter-mile in :27.4 and to the half-mile in :57.

Then in the backstretch, Brosseau asked Stock for a little more and the son of Sportswriter pulled away to a 10-length lead after the three-quarters in 1:25.2 and then went on to win in a huge romp by 15-3/4 lengths in 1:54.2. Big Mach (Guy Gagnon), who made a break at the start, then rebounded, came first-over in vain but held for second place with Challenge Magic (Jocelyn Gendron) third.

t was the second win in nine starts this year for Stock. He is trained by Dany Fountaine and was bred by Sotirios Anastaspoulo of Sainte-Therese and co-owned with Ecurie Gaetan Bono of Montreal. He paid just $2.10 to win.

The first division of the Breeders Cup for fillies was the fifth race that started off with Lune Bleu (Pierre Luc Roy) parking out Butterfly GB (Guy Gagnon) until nearly the opening quarter-mile in :27.4.Then Butterfly BG led the field past the half mile in :57.4 as D Gs Shadowsbell and driver Jonathan Lachance came after them first-over and the two horses sped to the three-quarters in 1:26.4.

D Gs Shadowsbell could not give up and pressed Butterfly BG on the outside until they started down the stretch. It was then that Butterfly BG proved to be the stronger filly, winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:56.2. Lune Bleu was third.

It was a lifetime mark for Butterfly BG and the daughter of Sportswriter’s second win in nine starts for Gagnon, who also trains the filly. She was bred and is owned by Gaston Bibeau of Sorel-Tracy and paid $2.50 to win as the wagering favorite.

In the second division, eighth race for the fillies it was all Katniss S BG and driver Pascal Berube. They led from start to finish, Lit De Rose (Pierre Luc Roy) came first-over and challenged but never was able to collar the leader. Katniss S BG won by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:57 with Miss Rockadale (Guy Gagnon) second with Lit De Rose third.

It was the second win in eight starts this year for Katniss S BG. She is sired by Mach Three, trained by Richard Moreau and was bred and is co-owned by Sylvain Descheneaux and Gaston Bibeau or Sorel-Tracy. Katniss S BG paid just $2.30 to win.

Pascal Berube led all drivers with a triple on the afternoon and Dany Fontaine sent two winners out from his stable.

Track Notes: The opening round of the Breeders Cup for 3-year-old trotters kicks off Tuesday evening. There is a full field of 10 colts that will battle it out in the fifth race, while only three fillies entered the first race and will compete in a non-wagering race between the fourth and fifth races on the program. First post is 6:30 p.m. For a free race program, visit www.quebecjockeyclub.com.

Saratoga Casino Hotel

Buff (Credit Winner) recorded his first Open Trot score of the season at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Sunday afternoon as the Jackie Greene trainee out-trotted the favorite home in the final eighth of a mile. The Open field was reduced to five horses after a pair of scratches and when one rival broke at the start, Buff wound up in the pocket spot in the early going. The race’s front-runner Crazycat (Bruce Aldrich Jr.) was tested by the favored Cash Me Out (Billy Dobson) who moved first over on the leader before overpowering him past three-quarters that went in 1:25.3 in the $14,500 feature. Cash Me Out took over the lead turning for home but Buff came roaring out of the pocket and trotted right past the favorite before stopping the timer in 1:55.1 to record his first victory in the local Open Trot this season. Buff, who was driven to victory by Frank Coppola Jr., paid $15.80 to win while pulling off the Sunday upset while Cash Me Out had to settle for second place this week. On Thunder Road N (Wally Hennessey) came on to earn the show spot. The exacta with Buff over the favored Cash Me Out returned $41.00. Live racing resumes on Wednesday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee that begins at 12:15 p.m.