Hippodrome 3R’s leading driver Stephane Brosseau teamed up with Bali to capture Sunday afternoon’s (October 1) featured event, the Silver Invitational Pace.
Both Highpoint Chip (Pascal Berube) and race favourite Bali (Brosseau) left from posts six and seven respectively, but once Highpoint Chip looked to settle in on the rail, he broke stride and that allowed Brosseau to have the easy lead with Bali, going to the opening quarter mile in :27.2.
Brosseau and Bali held the field at bay as they led to the half in :56.2, then to the three-quarter mile marker in 1:25.
Coming down the stretch with a seven-length lead, Brosseau and Bali coasted to the wire, winning by 5-1/2 lengths in 1:56. Mister Big Top (Stephane Gendron) was second with Pantheon Seelster (Steeven Genois) third.
It was the eighth win of the year for Bali. The six-year-old gelded son of Bali is trained by Marie Claude Auger and is owned and was bred by Denise Auger of Trois-Rivieres and co-owned with Emilie Auger of Welland, Ont. Bali paid $4.50 to win.
Brosseau, who now holds a 49- to 35-win lead over Stephane Gendron in the 2017 driving standings, scored a driving quadruple with victories in the third, seventh, ninth, and tenth races on the program. Gendron also had a good day in the sulky with a driving triple, as the two reinsmen combined to win seven of the ten races on the program.
Live racing resumes at H3R next Sunday (October 8) with first race post time at 12:30 p.m. H3R will also feature a special Monday live race card on Thanksgiving Day, October 9, with first race post time also at 12:30 p.m.
To view Sunday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results – Hippodrome 3R.
(Québec Jockey Club)