He was the only horse in the field without a victory in 2016, but since he cannot read a race program, it did not matter to Sugarsam, who was able to grind out an impressive victory in capturing his division of the Quebec-Bred Series at the Hippodrome 3R on Sunday (June 19).
It was the fourth and final preliminary round of the series for four and five-year-old pacers.
Entering the race winless in 10 starts in 2016, Sugarsam started from post two for driver Stephane Brosseau. Now age four, Sugarsam was the Quebec-Bred Series champion last year at age three and the gelded son of Sportswriter still holds a track record at 3R at age two.
The $6,500 third race saw the heavy favourite, C L Art Magic and trainer/driver Yves Filion, go off-stride right at the start from the rail. D Gs Justlikethat and driver Jonathan Lachance shot to the early lead with Mach On The Beach (Pascal Berube) sitting right on their back to the opening quarter mile in :28 and then to the half-mile in :57.2.
At the half, Brosseau started Sugarsam first-over with Electric Western (Richard Simard) sitting on their backs second-over. Sugarsam began to grind his way towards the race leaders and then at the three-quarters in 1:25.4, Simard made a bold move three-wide with Electric Western and also three-wide was C L Art Magic and Filion, who had recovered from their early break.
It was a wall of horses coming down the stretch, but the game Sugarsam and Brosseau proved to be the strong horse, getting up for a head triumph in 1:55.3 over D Gs Justlikethat in second and Mach On The Beach third.
Sugarsam is trained by Yves Tessier for owner/breeder Sotirios Anastasopoulos of Sainte-Therese, Que. He paid $7.30 to win.
In the eighth race division of the series for pacing mares, the race belonged to Chaleurs Fantasy and trainer/driver Carl Duguay from the very start.
Sending Chaleurs Fantasy right to the lead from post five, Duguay cut fractions of :28.2, :59.1 and 1:28.4 with Voodoo Charm (Mario Charron) right on their backs.
Hawaiian Drummond (Richard Veilleux) tried in vain to come first-over. On the final turn, Charron swept to the outside with Voodoo Charm to mount a challenge, but it was not good enough as Chaleurs Fantasy sped away in the stretch to a two and one-half length triumph in 1:57.1. Voodoo Charm was second with Hawaiian Drummond third.
Now victorious in three of the four preliminary rounds of the series, Chaleurs Fantasy will be the mare to beat in next Sunday's finale. She is a five-year-old mare by Omar Khayam and was bred and is owned by Elevage Baie Des Chaleurs of Port-Daniel, Que. Chaleurs Fantasy paid $4.80 to win.
TRACK NOTES: The Francis Richard trainee Half A Billion and driver Louis-Philippe Roy tore up the racetrack at 3R on Sunday, winning the ninth race pace by half the distance of the stretch in a sizzling 1:53.2, the fastest mile of the year at 3R. It was one of three victories on the afternoon for Roy.
Live racing resumes at 3R on Tuesday evening with first race post time at 7 p.m. Next Sunday, June 26, will be the $35,000 finals of the Quebec-Bred Series for four and five-year-old trotters and pacers.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from QJC)