Jack Panic scored his maiden victory with a 27-1 upset in a $10,000 division of the Breeders Trophy Series on Sunday (July 31) at Hippodrome 3R. Trainer Francis Richard swept the second leg of the series for three-year-old pacers, also sending out winning filly Shes Rockandfame.
The seventh race division for the colts started off with Ritchie Alpha and driver Pascal Berube going to the early lead with favourite Aladdin (Samuel Fillion) also wanting the front. Just as he was neck and neck with Ritchie Alpha, Aladdin went off stride before the quarter in :29.3 and was out of the race with Le Massif (Simon Delisle) still sitting the pocket trip.
Ritchie Alpha and Berube then had control of the pace and was challenged first-over by HP Momentum and driver Jonathan Lachance as they passed the half-mile in :58.4. Meanwhile, Jack Panic and driver Robert Shepherd were in seventh place racing along the pylons.
In the backstretch, Titanium Alpha (Stephane Brosseau) was second-over with Chikaboom (Francis Picard) third-over.
With HP Momentum no longer making progress first-over, Shepherd swung three-wide from seventh-place with Jack Panic at the three-quarters in 1:27.3.
As they raced around the final turn, Le Massif and Delisle pulled from the pocket and went after Ritchie Alpha and it looked like Le Massif was going to beat them to the wire until a speeding rocket named Jack Panic ate up ground in the stretch and blew by the race leaders to win by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:57.3. Le Massif was second with Ritchie Alpha third.
It was only the third lifetime start for Jack Panic and his first win. The homebred Sportswriter gelding is trained by Richard and owned by Brian Paquet of Quebec City.
He paid $56.70 to win. It was the fifth time this season that a horse has paid more than $50 to win at 3R.
The fillies competed in their $10,000 division of the Breeders Trophy Series in the fourth race where 1-5 favourite Shes Rockandfame and driver Samuel Fillion easily led from start to finish in 2:00.4 for Richard. The pocket-sitting Godiva Me Amour (Robert Shepherd) was second, 3-1/2 lengths behind the winner, with AJ Dalia (Marie-Claude Auger) third.
The win was the second from eight starts this year for Shes Rockandfame, a daughter of Hes Watching who is owned by Investissement K F B and Andre St Laurent. She paid $2.70 to win.
Siddhartha and driver Stephane Brosseau followed Goldinthebadlands (Francis Picard) three-wide in the backstretch in the ninth race, $6,500 Preferred 2 & 3 Handicap Pace. Both horses cleared to the lead on the final turn and then Siddhartha caught Goldinthebadlands in the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:56. Chantee (Samuel Fillion) was third.
Trained and owned by Louis-Philippe Turcotte, the six-year-old So Surreal gelding got the "W" after a string of five second-place finishes.
In the eighth race, $6,500 Preferred 2 & 3 Handicap Trot, four-time Quebec champion Capteur De Reve and driver Samuel Fillion led from start to finish, winning by 1-1/2 lengths in 2:01.1. Fix A Drink (Robert Shepherd) was second with Frido PV (Yves St Jacques) third.
The win was the second in a row for the homebred eight-year-old Muscle Mass gelding, who is trained by Maxime Velaye for Ecurie Provoquante.
Live racing resumes at 3R next Friday with first race post time at 4 p.m.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)