Two-year-olds in Hippodrome 3R limelight
At 0h59, on September 22, 2024 • By STEVE WOLF, Quebec Jockey Club
This Sunday, September 22, the spotlight at the Hippodrome 3R’s (H3R) 10-race card in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec is highlighted by a number of classic match-ups, including a special two-year-old Open Pace for the fillies.
Coming up on Sunday, October 6 at H3R will be the annual Lucien Bombardier Pace for two-year-old fillies and most of the fillies in this Sunday’s Open are eligible for the big stakes event.
The 5th race feature for a purse of $5,000 features race favorite Silver Majesty (All Bets Off) from post four for driver Denis St Pierre.
The Jean-Francois Maguire trainee was on a three-race winning streak coming into the $55,000 Final for the Future Stars Series at H3R and despite a tough first-over trip, was still a game second at the finish in 1:59.1.
Another favorite for the upcoming Bombardier Pace is Mystic Moment (Control The Moment) for driver Marie-Claude Auger starting from post seven. A $7,000 yearling purchase by co-owner and trainer Dany Mainguy, Mystic Moment enters on a two-race winning streak, the fastest a 1:59.4 triumph two starts back at Rideau Carleton and the prior week she came to H3R where she romped by four and one-half lengths in 2:00.3.
Other contenders include Simply The Best (post 2) and newcomer from Ontario, TJ Bliss (post 5), who sports a record win of 1:56.2 at Georgia Downs.
The H3R card then features a $6,000 Quebec-Bred three-year-old pace. HP Game On (McWicked) heads the field from post six for driver Marie-Claude Auger. Two starts back he was parked the mile and still came on to win in a lifetime best 1:58.1. He faces Foiled Dragon (Fear The Dragon), who wired the field last start in 1:57, but is saddled with starting from the far outside in post eight for driver Jocelyn Gendron.
The mares battle it out in the 9th race Preferred Pace with return winners Beauty Is Blind (post 6) and Mach N Blue Cheese (post 2) taking on the good mare Jimbelina (post 7), who returns to H3R after competing in a pop-up series at Mohawk Park where she won an opening round in 1:53.2.
The tenth and final race on the card for older pacers features three return winners that will do battle. They are Uncontrollable (post 9) who returns off a sizzling 1:53.4 romp by eight and one-quarter lengths, Little Diamond (post 7) was parked the mile last week and still won in 1:56.2 and Ritchie Alpha (post 5) won in 1:55.2, also in a romp by more than eight lengths.
First race post time on Sunday is at 12:00 noon.
