Somewhere bettor turns tables on Mickeymaksomespeed in 3R feature

Somewhere Bettor, second to favored Mickeymaksomespeed in the $5000 Preferred pace on Friday night at Hippodrome 3R, started from somewhere better – the rail — when the two were rematched Sunday in a $5000 contest, and Somewhere Bettor never let anyone past him in winning a 1:56.3 mile.

Somewhere Bettor, the 5-2 second choice, was under encouragement from driver Jocelyn Gendron to leave all-out and take advantage of the geometry, and the Bettors Delight gelding responded, with 2-5 favorite Mickeymaksomespeed, starting alongside, forced to take back to the pocket, and in fact the field of five going to a “lineup” before the :27.3 quarter. No one challenged the pacesetter from the outside until Littlebitaswagger moved late on the second turn, and Somewhere Bettor was able to slow the tempo to the half, reached in :57.4.

The three-quarters came in 1:27.1 and Littlebitaswagger soon started to back off from the leader, giving Mickeymaksomespeed his chance. But the chalk could make little headway into a :29.2 last quarter, with Somewhere Bettor able to extend his lead to 1½ lengths at the finish for Gendron and trainer/owner Yannick Martel.

In the $4500 Preferred handicap pace for fillies and mares, the Camluck distaff Jans Legacy, a winner in this class when last at 3R, came back after two good races at Rideau Carleton and promptly triumphed again, Sunday in 1:57.2. Stephane Brosseau moved the veteran to the lead past the quarter, fought off a hard backstretch challenge from Y C Easy, and then showed determination to ward off the late-charging Kiss Me Bad by a neck. Jans Legacy won as the 2-1 favorite for trainer Marc-Andre Simoneau, also co-owner with Desjardins Nereau Stable.

The favorites came in steadily for the wagering fans, with eight out of ten public choices succeeding. Somewhere Bettor’s $7.40 was amazingly the highest win price of the day; the only other non-chalk to win was That’s Some Plan paying $5.20 as the second choice behind 7-5 Yankee Up.

Every driver but one who won on the 3R card had their first name begin with the letter “S” – Stephane Brosseau with three successes; Samuel Fillion having the seat behind two winners; and Stephane Gendron sulkysitting behind one. And from the feature results you know the other driver is Jocelyn Gendron, who journeyed to the winners circle in four of the last five races on the day to take Sunday honors. In contrast, ten different trainers won the card’s ten races – so initials didn’t matter on the conditioners’ side.