GA Speed Gaby cruises again at H3R
At 12h38, on September 16, 2023 • By SALLE DES NOUVELLES/Nicholas Barnsdale
GA Speed Gaby, coming off a 15-length romp a week ago, eased to another victory at Hippodrome 3R on Friday (Sep. 14).
Doc Fanelli (Jocelyn Gendron) blasted out from post four to lead into the first turn, but GA Speed Gaby moved to the outside and marched to the front just past the quarter in :28. The new leader, driven by Robert Shepherd, brought the field through middle panels of :56.2 and 1:25.3 with no challenge coming from a stagnating outer flow.
GA Speed Gaby kicked away from Doc Fanelli down the stretch, leaving the only rival in reach four lengths behind to prevail in 1:55.1.
Doc Fanelli proved second-best with show finisher Ninoscredit (Marie-Claude Auger) three-and-a-half lengths further back.
GA Speed Gaby has now won three straight races since Shepherd took the lines. The Friday win was also his third for trainer Robert Pilon after losing his first three for the conditioner. Pilon said on Thursday that he “made some equipment adjustments and shoeing changes but also completely changed his daily training” upon receiving the horse from owner Josee Patry. The seven-year-old son of Windfall Blue Chip is now 13-for-79 lifetime and has earned $72,732.
In the card’s co-featured conditioned trot, Goaltender circled every on-stride opponent for a mild 5-1 upset.
The gelding dropped back at the start for Francis Picard through a first split of :28.3 but moved closer with the field bunching up as several horses moved to the outside. Still seventh at the half in :59.3, Goaltender pulled third-over on the backstretch and made headway on cover to three-quarters in 1:29.3.
He swung four-wide on the final turn and was fifth at the head of the stretch, but the six-year-old uncorked a big rush to blow by the top four and score going away by a length-and-a-quarter in 2:01. Muscles Forever (Sylvain Fontaine) edged out MVP L (Jessica Turenne) under the wire for second.
Goaltender has now won three races this season in 21 tries. He moved to the Andre Champagne barn in July for owner Franois Morin and relocated to Quebec from Ontario. The son of Wheeling N Dealin is typically a come-from-behind horse; he has led at the quarter once in 108 lifetime starts. The gelding has won 15 times in his career and has raked in $114,628 in bankroll.
Pascal Berube was the day’s top driver with three wins in nine drives. He steered Twizzler Gt to a 1:56 maiden-breaking win in the opener. He then orchestrated On Cruise Control’s second win of the year in the sixth race, overcoming post 10 for a 1:59.1 victory. Spectrum Seelster then went wire-to-wire for the reinsman to win the ninth race in 1:57.4.
Track Notes: Berube added to his lead in the drivers’ standings and is now 13 clear of Stephane Brosseau, who was blanked on the day. The card was the final Friday date of the meet for Hippodrome 3R. Racing will now switch to Sundays only, beginning with the Sep. 17 program. Post time will be 12:00 noon.
