Driver Pierre-Luc Roy put on a show at Hippodrome 3R on Sunday (Aug. 13).
The older brother of three-time O’Brien Award winner Louis-Philippe Roy, Pierre-Luc Roy has been a top driver in Quebec for many years. On Sunday, he hit a grand slam, winning four races on the program, including one division of the Future Stars Series, the Preferred Pace, and the Three-Year-Old Filly Pace.
The photo finish camera was put to good use on Sunday as the $10,000 colt division of the Future Stars Series ended in a three-horse photo.
In the second race co-feature, 19-1 Gold Nugget (Jocelyn Gendron) worked his way to the lead over Love That Miramont and driver Jean Bernard Renaud before the opening quarter-mile in :30. As they approached the half in 1:01.4, 11-1 Boomboom Tonight (Marc Belanger) was flushed first-over by race favourite Amitious Mind (Francis Picard). Gold Nugget seemed comfortable on the lead going down the backstretch while Olaf Du Lac (Pierre-Luc Roy) moved three-wide from sixth place at the three-quarters in 1:31. Around the final turn, there were four horses in contention as Gold Nugget continued to lead the field down the stretch, but bore out off the pylons, leaving just enough room for Love That Miramont to come up the inside while Boomboom Tonight kept up his attack. As they crossed the wire, it was a three-horse photo with Love That Miramont winning by a long nose over Gold Nugget and Boomboom Tonight finishing third by a head. The time of the mile was 2:01.
It was the first pari-mutuel start for Love That Miramont, who is trained by Julie Walker. The Sportswriter gelding was bred and is owned by Michele Raymond of Chelsea, Que. He paid $7.50 to win.
There were also two $7,500 divisions of the Future Stars Series for two-year-old pacing fillies.
The fourth race was the first division that had the Ontario invader, Ma Diva, and driver Sylvain Lacaille go right to the lead from post five with the race favourite Ronda Du Lac and driver Pierre-Luc Roy getting the two-hole trip to the first quarter in :29.3. Lacaille then backed down the pace to the half-mile in 1:02.2 while YS La Belle Vie (Pascal Berube) rushed up first-over with Shes Rock (Robert Shepherd) second-over. YS La Belle Vie then dropped into the two-hole behind Ma Diva as Roy quickly moved Ronda Du Lac first-over by the three-quarters in 1:32.1. Around the final turn, it was Ronda Du Lac on the outside against Ma Diva and as they started down the stretch, Ronda Du Lac kept bearing out, but was moving forward just enough to beat Ma Diva to the wire by a neck in 2:02.2. Shes Rock was third.
Now undefeated in two starts, Ronda Du Lac is trained by David Pilon for breeder Louis-Philippe Roy, who co-owns the Shadow Play filly with Maude Larouche, Michel Letarte and Jean Allaire. She paid $3.30 to win.
In the ninth race and second division for the fillies, it was Breedingbankrupsy and driver Pascal Berube who led the field from the start through early fractions of :31 and 1:01.4 before D Gs Lorijeanne (Jonathan Lachance) went first-over and gained ground slowly as they passed the three-quarters in 1:32. Around the final turn, the two horses were racing head-to-head and continued to do so down the stretch with Breedingbankrupsy able to hold off D Gs Lorijeanne to win by a head in 2:02. YS Flowernumberten (Francis Picard) was third.
The time of the mile was a lifetime mark for Breedingbankrupsy and the win her second in three starts for trainer Marc-Andre Simoneau, who bred the Sportswriter filly and owns her with the Desjardins Noreau Stable and Jean Fontaine. She paid $2.50 to win as the wagering favourite.
Sports Bettor (sired by Sportswriter) returned from the Quebec Fair Circuit, where he had won three straight races, in the $7,000 Preferred Pace, winning against the top pacers. Driven by Pierre-Luc Roy, Sports Bettor wired the field despite constant challenges throughout the race, winning by two lengths in 1:56.1. He paid $10.40 to win. The 11-year-old Sportswriter gelding is trained by Kevin Maguire and owned by Ecuries Maguire Inc.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from the Quebec Jockey Club)