Hippodrome 3R played host to the finals of the Quebec Regional Fair Circuit on a rare Saturday afternoon (Sept. 17) card. The fairs are raced at training centres throughout Quebec during the summer months.
The toughest match-up of the afternoon took place in the seventh race pace between Disneyman and Mickeymaksomespeed.
Disneyman and driver Maxim Gaudreault — who is usually seen training or owning horses, not driving them — had taken the early lead in the race and was challenged on the outside immediately by Mickeymaksomespeed and catch-driver Ghislain Boisvert, who is not yet a household name as a driver.
Boisvert and Mickeymaksomespeed were the 1/5 favourite and they wanted the lead. Maxim Gaudreault and Disneyman said no way. They fought neck and neck to the first quarter in :28. Then they fought to the half mile in :57.1.
In the backstretch neither horse nor driver would give an inch as they were still neck and neck apart, Mickeymaksomespeed parked first-over the entire mile. At the three-quarters in 1:27.1, Jaydens Place (Pascal Berube) joined the fray, coming three-wide and was parked out around the final turn.
They were three across the track as they started down the stretch, but Disneyman proved to be the strongest as he went on to win by a half a length in 1:58.1 over Jaydens Place with Mickeymaksomespeed third.
It was the second straight win and fifth of the season for Disneyman. In his prior start he set a fair record for a 1-1/2 mile race in 3:09. He is trained by Francis Richard and owned by Maxim's brother Charles Gaudreault along with Gabrielle St. Onge, and paid $15.90 to win.
The most anticipated race of the day was the 10th and final on the card. This race featured only female drivers from the Regional Fairs.
El Torero (Andree Pelletier) was first on the lead with SOS Mach Xtreme (Roxanne Viau) sitting the pocket seat. Race favourite Spectrum Seelster and driver Gabrielle St. Onge were parked first-over.
El Torero cut fractions of :27.4 and :57.2 while Spectrum Seelster forged first up. By three-quarters in 1:28.1, Spectrum Seelster had enough, and then on the final turn it was SOS Mach Xtreme and Roxanne Viau who came after El Torero.
Those two battled down the stretch with SOS Mach Xtreme, at odds of 13-1, upsetting the field with a one-length triumph in 1:59. El Torero held for second with Ninocredit (Nathalie Migneault) third.
A 12-year-old gelded son of Mach Three, SOS Mach Xtreme notched his fourth win of the season. He is trained by Michel Audet, who co-owns him with Viau. He paid $28.90 to win.
The Quebecois Finale lined up in the eighth race. Clear The Credit (Up The Credit) and driver Steve Gagnon came first-over in the backstretch, clearing to the lead by three-quarters en route to a one-length 2:02.3 triumph. It was his second win this year for trainer and co-owner Catherine Lafrance with Maxime Dubuc. He paid $2.90 to win.
It seems that every year trainer Marc Lemay gets in the sulky and wins during the Fair Finals at 3R. This year was no exception. In the ninth race, which featured mainly trainers handling driving duties, Lemay was aboard his own horse, Macho Polo and they wired the field by four lengths in 1:58.2, paying $4.10 to win.
Track Notes: Steven Gagnon had a driving double and his two wins were with Catherine Lafrance, giving her a training double. Live harness racing resumes tomorrow (Sunday, Sept. 18) afternoon starting at 12:00 noon. Featured will be three Preferred events.
To view the results from Saturday's card, click the following link: Saturday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(with files from the Quebec Jockey Club)