By the whiskers on her face, Platine Alpha barely held off a determined Whitemountaincammy to win the Mares Preferred 2 & 3 Handicap Pace on Sunday (May 22) at Hippodrome 3R.
The $6,000 sixth race co-feature saw You Rock Girl Kir and Steeven Genois move right to the early lead and then stung race favourite Platine Alpha and Pascal Berube through the opening quarter-mile in :28.3. Once on top, Berube was able to put the brakes on as they passed the half-mile marker in :59.
Then the action heated up as driver Stephane Brosseau came first-over with Whitemountaincammy and they came right after Platine Alpha. Down the backstretch, those two battled with Whitemountaincammy up by a quarter-length on the outside at the three-quarters in 1:28.2.
Platine Alpha then dug in on the final turn, but so did Whitemountaincammy and those two battled neck and neck, head and head down the stretch with Platine Alpha barely winning by a nose in the photo finish in 1:58. You Rock Girl Kir was third, one length behind.
The win was the first in six starts this year for Platine Alpha. The four-year-old mare by Control The Moment was bred and is owned by trainer Sylvain Tremblay’s Ecurie Alpha of Metabechouan, Que. She paid $2.70 to win.
This was Platine Alpha’s final start at H3R for a while, according to Tremblay, as the mare is now headed to Toronto to race.
Twenty-two-year-old Kiwon Waldron from Bermuda scored his first win of the season Sunday in the eighth race Preferred 2 & 3 Handicap with Mickeymaksomespeed.
It was the race favourite Spectrum Seelster (Stephane Brosseau) who was first on the lead with Histoire Enchantee (Simon Delisle) in the two-hole. Working his way to the front was Mickeymaksomespeed, who cleared after a :27.2 opening quarter-mile.
Mickeymaksomespeed then led the field to the half-mile in :56.3 with BS Tyrrfic (Pascal Berube) coming first-over and Siddhartha (Steeven Genois) second-over.
Past the three-quarters in 1:25.2, Mickeymaksomespeed was still confidently in the lead as Genois tipped three-wide on the final turn.
They were three-across heading for home but Mickeymaksomespeed and Waldron were too tough, winning by one length in 1:55. Siddhartha was second with Spectrum Seelster third.
The victory was the first in three starts this year for Mickeymaksomespeed following a pair of runner-up finishes. The five-year-old stallion by Mickey Hanover was bred and is owned and trained by Michel Allard of Saint-Esprit, Que. He paid $7.60 to win.
Pascal Berube continued his dominance at H3R, scoring five winners on Sunday's 11-race card. In addition to Platine Alpha, he drove winners Windsun Cheyenne ($3.90) for trainer Gina Bragagnolo, Jet B ($5.50) for Serge Houde, La Petite Grise ($2.30) for Fernand Jodoin and Shanghaigold ($17.80) for Pierre Piedalue.
Stephanie Brosseau had a driving triple and Jean-Francois Reid had a training double.
Live racing resumes at the Hippodrome 3R next Sunday (May 29) with post time at 12 noon.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R
(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)