It’s A Tail of Two Fillies

A Tale of Two Cities is an 1859 historical novel by Charles Dickens. At the Hippodrome 3R on Friday it’s A Tail of Two Fillies, harness racing fillies that is.

After the opening of the 2021 season at H3R on Friday, May 7, there are already two Standardbreds, a trotter and a pacer, both of whom are undefeated, both are three-year-olds, both are homebreds, both are on three-race winning streaks and both have a good shot to keep their win streaks alive.

The first is the trotting filly XOXO, who starts from post one on Friday for breeder, owner and driver Jerome Lombart of Bromont and trainer Andreane Lapierre.

Lightly raced at age two last year, XOXO made only five starts, but each of those starts she was first, second or third and earned $16,520.

Now, at age 3, XOXO has four starts, three wins and a one second for Lombart. XOXO is sired by Angus Hall from the Mr Lavec mare, Promising Lavec. XOXO is one of four foals of racing age for Promising Lavec, all of whom have made the races, the best being XOXO’s half-sister, Lucky Promises (Lucky Fool) who earned $87,000 with a record of 1:58.2 at H3R.

Each of the past three weeks XOXO gets faster and faster with her victories. After winning two straight weeks on the front end, Lombart was able to give XOXO a two-hole trip last week and she responded with a lifetime mark of 2:01.3.

This week XOXO is the lone filly going against eight male rivals and her main competition will come from another three-year-old, Emotions Riches (post 3).

This colt by Wheeling N Dealin has but one lifetime win, taken last season in 2:02.1 at H3R but he still raced well enough to earn $46,825 for the Provoquante Stable of Mirabel and trainer Maxime Velaye. Emotions Riches showed 1:56 speed last season in the Ontario Grassroots Series at Mohawk Park.

The second tail of two fillies comes in the seventh race Preferred 3 Pace for Fillies and Mares. The spotlight will be on Platine Alpha (post 3), who is the lone filly racing against older mares.

Platine Alpha was bred and is owned and trained by Sylvain Tremblay for his Alpha Stable of Metabechouan. She is sired by Control The Moment from the Big Jim mare, Ma Terre. Platine Alpha is the first foal from Ma Terre and already her half-sister, Titanium Alpha (He’s Watching) just made her two-year-old debut and won a qualifying race at H3R last week in 2:03.4.

“Indeed, Platine was born on the Alpha farm,” Tremblay said. “This is the first baby that I have had foal on the farm. That makes her very special to us.

“She has a lot of talent,” Tremblay explained. “She really changed from 2- to 3-year-old. She grew up a lot and really became a lot more mature in her way of being on the track and her way of racing.”

This year Platine Alpha already has three wins in five starts, each clocking in around 1:58, her lifetime mark so far this year and she has shown the ability to race from on and off the pace.

“She can go much faster than 1:58,” Tremblay added. “She will start against old mares this week. It is a test while waiting for the Breeders Trophy Series at H3R to begin. Then we’ll see how fast she can really go.

“In our stable now, she is the best horse,” Tremblay said. “So, I’m not really impressed with her start to the season. She is capable of many faster miles. I go step by step with her. We are preparing for a big season.”

Some of the older mares that Platine Alpha will face on Friday include Fancy Girl (post 8), Kiss Me Bad (post 5) and Shemaksmefelunreal (post 6).

Post time is 4:00 pm Friday for the ten race program. Then on Sunday, H3R will host a race card at 12:30 pm. For a free race program, visit www.hippodrome3r.ca.