After Hippodrome 3R’s third race on Sunday, June 25, the management and horsepeople at the track paid tribute to harness racing legend Herve Filion, who passed away Thursday at the age of 77.
A native of Angers, Quebec, Filion went on to become a harness racing icon in the sport. He went to the United States in 1961 and was the North America's leading driver 16 times, earning his first title in 1968 and last in 1990. He retired with 15,183 wins and had career earnings of $88.4 million.
Many of the horsepeople that participated during Hippodrome 3R’s Sunday program came out to the winner’s circle, along with track management and racing fans. Handicapper Daniel Delisle discussed Filion’s illustrious career in both French and English, followed by a moment of silence. All of the infield flags on Sunday were lowered to half-mast.
On the racetrack Sunday were the $30,000 finals of the Quebec-Bred Series for four and five-year-old trotting mares and horses.
The horses were first in the limelight in the sixth race and no one was going to pass by Wildwild Men and driver Robert Shepherd when the starting gate pulled away.
Shepherd sent Wildwild Men right to the front with KFB Amigo Cool (driven by Stephane Brosseau) leaving from Post 6 and grabbing the two-hole spot.
After a fast :28.3 opening quarter mile, Shepherd was able to back off the pace by the half mile marker in 1:00 as the field remained in position.
When Wildwild Men got to the three-quarters in 1:29.3, Shepherd let the five-year-old gelding by Muscle Mass have his head and they held the field at bay, winning with ease by one and three-quarter lengths in 1:59.1 as Shepherd raised his whip in triumph coming to the wire.
KFB Amigo Cool held for second place with last year’s champion, Holiday Party (driven by Pascal Berube) third.
“He really behaved himself today,” said Shepherd. “It feels good when you can open up in the stretch like he did today.”
As a two-year-old, Wildwild Men set the track record for his age at H3R in winning the Future Stars Final and now has added his second Final in capturing the Quebec-Bred Series.
Trained by Isabelle Darveau, it was the second win in five starts this year for Wildwild Men, who has yet to finish worse than second place this season. He paid $2.80 to win.
Wildwild Men was bred by Chantal Gravel of St-Cyrille-De-Wendover and she co-owns the horse with Catheline Pelletier of Mirabel.
Rains came in and turned the track surface from ‘fast’ to ‘good’ by the ninth race $30,000 final for the trotting mares.
Carl Duguay’s Y S Suzanne left sharply for driver Stephane Gendron to take command with EAU Naturelle (Simon Delisle) getting the two-hole trip to the opening quarter mile in :30.1.
Y S Suzanne then led the field to the half mile in 1:02 as Artemis Duharas and driver Raymond Gingras boldly came first-over to challenge.
As the field reached the backstretch, EAU Naturelle went off-stride in the two-hole, but Gingras did not want to stop the moment of his mare and they stayed on the outside and were able to collar Y S Suzanne past the three-quarters in 1:32.2 and around the final turn.
As they started down the stretch, Artemis Duharas would not be denied as Gingras urged his mare on to victory by one and one-half lengths in 2:03.1. Second was the 30-1 long shot Grace And Claire (Francis Picard), and Y A Jailhouse Jodi (Guy Gagnon), who was unable to get into the flow of the race, rallied to be third.
Sent off at odds of 9-2, Artemis Duharas paid $9.40 to win. It was the first victory in four starts this year for the four-year-old mare by Andover Hall. She is trained by Manon Levasseuri for owner/breeder Haras De L Estri, Inc. of Dunham.
Track Notes: For the first time this season, not one driver or trainer on the race program could win more than one race. All ten races on the program were won by a different driver and trainer.
The racing action continues at the Hippodrome 3R on Tuesday evening. First race post time is 7:00 p.m. and the feature event is the sixth race Invitational Trot headlined by return winner Theregoesthegroom, who will take on Caroluzzo, Four Starz Speed and Spicey Victor.
For more information, visit quebecjockeyclub.com.
To view the harness racing results for Sunday at Hippodrome 3R, click the following link: Sunday Results – Hippodrome 3R.
(Quebec Jockey Club)