Platine Alpha took sole possession as the winningest harness racing horse at the Hippodrome 3R this season, scoring a neck triumph in a nail-biting stretch drive finish Friday afternoon.
The lone three-year-old filly racing against older mares in the Preferred-Handicap Pace, driver Pascal Berube looked to leave with Platine Alpha, then took back as Fancy Girl (Francis Picard) went right to the front along with Godiva Mackiavelyc (Simon Delisle) to the opening quarter mile in :28.
As the field came around the turn towards the half mile, race favourite Playa Duharas (Stephane Gendron) came first-over and Pascal moved Platine Alpha second-over as the field came to the half mile in a pedestrian clip of :59.
Then when the field reached the backstretch, Berube took Platine Alpha three-wide, but ended up being parked out three-wide to the three-quarters in 1:28.3 before being able to clear by Playa Duharas and start after pacesetter Fancy Girl.
Down the stretch they came, head and head and just when it looked like Fancy Girl would hold off Platine Alpha, the filly found one more gear for Berube and came on to win by a neck over Fancy Girl in 1:57. Playa Duharas was third.
It was the fifth win in eight starts this year for Platine Alpha. The Control The Moment filly’s five wins have all come at H3R. She was tied at four wins each with Diamond Rock, who also raced at H3R on Friday, but broke stride and finished off the board in the seventh race pace.
Platine Alpha was bred and is owned and trained by Sylvain Tremblay’s Alpha Stable of Metabetchouan. The time of 1:57 tied her lifetime mark. Despite being the morning line favourite, Platine Alpha paid $8.20 to win.
Both Stephane Gendron and Stephane Brosseau each scored driving triples. Maxime Velaye, Louis-Philippe Turcotte and Sylvain Tremblay all scored training doubles.
Sunday’s 10-race program at H3R gets underway at 12:30 pm. Featured is the continuing rivalry between Mickeymaksomespeed, Littlebitaswagger and Dreydl Hanover in the Preferred Pace for the older horses while Fancy Girl takes on Shemaksmefelunreal and Wild River Swan in the Mares Preferred Pace. For a free race program, visit www.hippodrome3r.ca.
To view results for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Results – Hippodrome 3R.
(Quebec Jockey Club)