by Quebec Jockey Club
Trois-Rivieres, PQ — Both track and stakes records fell by the wayside at the Hippodrome 3R Sunday (Sept. 4) during their richest day of racing of the 2016 season with C$500,000 in total purses for the Super Sunday program. The race card featured the finals of the Breeders Cup Series for 3-year-old trotters and pacers and the Future Stars Series finals for 2-year-old trotters and pacers
The most impressive of the track records set was by Wildriverbumblebee and driver Louis-Philippe Roy in the C$55,000 final for 2-year-old pacing colts, as they stopped the teletimer in 1:54.3, the fastest 2-year-old mile ever in the history of the Hippodrome 3R.
The eighth race finale saw Yogi Bayama and driver Sylvain Filion fire out from post seven to take the early lead with the 3-5 favorite Makasi (Stephane Brosseau) grabbing the two-hole spot as they sped to the opening quarter mile in :27.1. They went on to the half-mile in :56.4 and that was when the action began to heat up as Roy and Wildriverbumblebee came first-over and shot right by Yogi Bayama in the backstretch with Brosseau moving right along with Makasi.They raced to the three-quarters in 1:25.4 and then Wildriverbumblebee scooted away from Makasi and opened up in the stretch to win going away in a romp by six open lengths. Makasi held for second place with Yogi Bayama third.
Unable to beat Makasi in the last two legs of the series, Wildriverbumblebee was at his best Sunday, shattering Makasi’s former track and stakes record of 1:55.2 set two weeks ago. It was the second win this year for the son of Sportswriter-Alcor Semalu, who is trained, owned and was bred by Dr. John Bradbury. Wildriverbumblebee paid $10.80 to win.
The third race C$65,000 final for 3-year-old colts saw last year’s series champion and track record hold Wildwild Men and driver Robert Shepherd shoot to the early lead over Holiday Party (Pascal Berube) and cut a torrid first-quarter of :27.4, then a :30 second breather to the half-mile marker in :57.4. Tuscans Memory (Sylvain Filion) then tried a first-over move in the backstretch to no avail as they passed the three-quarters in 1:27.4. It was then that Berube pulled the pocket with Holiday Party and came after Wildwild Men, collaring him by the top of the stretch and then came home to win in track record time of 1:58.2 by 1-1/4 lengths. KFB Amigo Cool (Stephane Brosseau) was able to close well for second place with Wildwild Men third.
It was the eighth win in thirteen starts this year for Holiday Party. The gelded son of Holiday Road rewrote the track record that he set earlier this season and was co-held with Seeyou Men (2015). He is trained by Dany Fontaine for owner Gaetan Bono, Inc. Holiday Party paid $4.80 to win. He was bred by Jean Cloutier and the Stanstead-Berta Stable.
Since HP Patriote could not read the odds board to see his rival, Sports Authority, was the overwhelming 1-5 favorite, he went into the ninth race C$65,000 final for 3-year-old pacing colts with no worries and raced that way for driver Guy Gagnon. The gelded son of Vintage Master sported 10 wins in 12 starts this year and raced just like his record showed.
Sports Authority and driver Sylvain Filion took the early lead away from D G’s Ninja (Jonathan Lachance) by the opening quarter-mile in :28 and seemed comfortable on the lead going to the half-mile in :57.2, but Gagnon and HP Patroite were geared up on the outside first-over from the start and had other plans. With tons of momentum, Gagnon sent HP Patriote after Sports Authority and shot right by the race leader to the three-quarters in 1:25.1. They never looked back, pulling away in the stretch for this 11th win on the season with a 2-1/2 length triumph in 1:55. Sports Authority held for second with Mr Mach Jimmy (Pascal Berube) third.
Trained by Gerald Demers, HP Patriote is co-owned by Les Ecuries GLD, Inc. with Claude Hamel and was bred by Hamel with Celine Paquin. HP Patriote paid $5.90 to win.
The fifth race C$65,000 final for 3-year-old pacing fillies saw HP Sissy and driver Mario Baillargeon easily handle her seven rivals, leading from start to finish, winning by 3-1/4 lengths in a stakes record 1:55.4. Only stablemate HP Pandora (Louis-Philippe Roy) could keep somewhat close to the race leader. Imagine Speed (Stephane Gendron) was third.
It was the fourth win this year for the daughter of Up The Credit, who is trained by Beneit Baillargeon for breeder Claude Hamel, who co-owns the filly with Michel Damphousse. She paid $2.80 to win.
Daniel Dube continued his winning ways in the C$65,000 Breeders Cup Finale for -year3-old trotting fillies, giving Y A Jailhouse Jodi a perfect second-over trip and a trip to the winner’s circle. Éclair Chocolat (Mario Baillargeon) led the field with Y S Suzanne (Carl Duguay) sitting the pocket trip and Artemis Duharas (Pierre Bovay) hung first-over to the opening quarter mile in :29.2. All the while Dube had Y A Jailhouse Jodi sitting second-over and poised to strike out. That came in the backstretch and Y A Jailhouse Jodi moved three-wide and cleared to the lead with ease before drawing off to win by three lengths in 2:01.
Sired by Andover Hall, it was the sixth win this year for Y A Jailhouse Jodi, who is trained by Michel Allard, is co-owned by Yves Sarrazin and Rene Allard and was bred by Al Libfeld. She paid $7.40 to win.
In the second race C$55,000 final for 2-year-old pacing fillies, the first stakes races of the day, Yonkers Raceway star and Trois-Riviere native, Daniel Dube pulled off an upset with his Queen Elsa over 1-5 favorite Yaris Bayama (Sylvain Filion). Owned and bred by Dube, he sent the daughter of Rock N Roll Heaven-Ladies Life right to the lead from the rail and never looked back, cutting fractions of :28, :57.4, 1:27 and then winning by three-quarters of a length over D G’s Elsa (Jonathan Lachance) in 1:57. Yaris Bayama, who started from the outside in post eight, had road trouble and never got into the race until they made a three-wide move in the backstretch to get into third place, but it was too little too late.
It was a lifetime mark for Queen Elsa, who is trained by Yves Tessier and her time of 1:57 was just one-fifth of a second from the track and stakes record of 1:56.4 that is held by Yaris Bayama two weeks ago. Queen Elsa paid $8.40 to win.
Daniel Dube did not come home to 3R just to visit family as he also won the fourth race, the C$55,000 final for 2-year-old trotting colts with Capteur De Reve. After an early battle to the opening quarter against Sometimes When (Guy Gagnon), Dube settled Capteur De Reve on the lead for good, leading the pack the rest of the one-mile race and winning by 2-3/4 lengths in 2:02.2. The pocket-sitting Sometimes When was second with Yoan Bayama (Yves Filion) third. It was the third win this season for Capteur De Reve. The son of Muscle Mass-Noblesse is trained by Maxime Velaye for owner/breeder Provoquante Stable and paid $3.20 to win.
The C$55,000 final of the Future Stars Series for 2-year-old trotting fillies saw Joyce Lavec and driver Pascal Berube take control of the lead from Tarus P V (Stephane Brosseau) after the opening quarter-mile and then held the field at bay, winning by one length in 2:04.4. Affirmee (Daniel Dube) was able to close for second place with Muscle Do (Gaetan Lamy) third.
Sired by Mr Lavec, it was the fourth win in just five career starts for Joyce Lavec. She is sired by Mr Lavec and is trained by Dany Fontaine for owner/breeder Jean Berthiaume. This race was a non-wagering event.
TRACK NOTES: Daniel Dube, Pascal Berube and Guy Gagnon each had three driving winners on the day, but all three of Dube’s wins were in the Quebec-bred Series finals. Dany Fontaine was the top trainer on the afternoon sending out two winners from his stable.
Owner Claude Hamel reaped the most rewards Sunday as he was the owner or co-owner of two stakes winners on the afternoon.
Live racing will resume next Sunday (Sept. 11) at the Hippodrome 3R with first race post time at 1:30 p.m. Visit www.quebecjockeyclub.com for more information.