Unbeaten filly wins opening round Future Stars Series
At 0h02, on July 22, 2024 • By STEVE WOLF, Quebec Jockey Club
Unbeaten two-year-old pacing filly Justine Ray (Shadow Play) crushed her field of competition with a ten-length romp in the opening round of the Future Stars Series at the Hippodrome 3R (H3R) Sunday, July 21 in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec.
The 7th race $10,000 division was the first of three preliminary rounds leading towards the $55,000 final at H3R on Super Sunday, September 8.
From the start it was all Justine Ray as driver Pascal Berube left hard with the filly who started from post five and had the lead at the start of the first turn. She then cut fractions of :29.4, 1:01.1 and 1:32 to the three-quarters, continuing to widen her lead.
By the top of the stretch Justine Ray was up by seven lengths, kicked in a :28.1 last quarter mile and won in a romp by nine and one-half lengths in 2:00.1. Coeuratout De Lac (Pierre-Luc Roy) was a distant second with Myvaliam (William Roy) third.
It was the lifetime mark for Justine Ray. She is trained by Yves St Jaques for owner Michel Letendre of Saint-Jude, Que. and paid $3.60 to win as the race favorite. Justine Ray is from the dam Woes Jet City and is a full sister to $375,000 winner Play Jet Ray and a half-sister to $102,000 winner Sport Jet Play (Sportswriter).
The $10,000 division for the pacing colts had only four horses enter and was held as a non-wagering race.
Winchester Phoenix (Bettors Delight) with driver Stephane Brosseau led from start to finish with fractions of :30.3, 1:01.3 and 1:32.2. He then tore loose from the field, winning in a romp by nine and one-half lengths in 2:03. Koz Im Doc (Robert Shepherd) was second with Greattime Bayama (Yves Filion) third.
Winchester Phoenix is trained by Dominic Gladu for owners Francis Dupuis, Les Encuries Phoenix, Ronald Kelly and Serge Leonard.
Twin B Powerball (Bettors Delight) with driver Robert Shepherd won the 9th race Preferred-Handicap Pace in 1:55 ($3.00) in the fastest mile of the afternoon. The 8th race Preferred-Handicap Pace for the fillies and mares saw Rec Time (Huntsville) and driver Denis St Pierre brush to the lead by the quarter and hang tough on the lead, holding off a determined YS Sensationalcity (William Roy) by a length in 1:56.4. It was Rec Time’s second straight win at H3R.
Track Notes: Robert Shepherd scored a driving triple Sunday. Both Stephane Brosseau and Pascal Berube had driving doubles while Louis-Philippe Turcotte had a training double. Drivers not frequently in the spotlight made their presence felt at Nouvelle Saturday afternoon in the Quebec Regional Fair Circuit. Johanne Dechampain made her fourth lifetime winning drive memorable by guiding American Zestar to a Nouvelle track record 3:00.2 for 1 1/2 miles, breaking the 17-year-old mark of 3:04.4 by Chilito Hanover. In the amateur driver’s event for males, Patrice Dumas got his first win in 39 starts over 12 years with Keystone Prestige. The female amateurs provided the fastest mile of the day, 2:00.3, when CL Big Beach necked out Welladvertised in 2:00.3. The winning driver was Nancy Auger, who is a remarkable 26 for 53 in her driving career. Antoine Desrochers, who had driven four winners in 2024 racing exclusively at H3R, went to Nouvelle and promptly doubled his seasonal total. Live racing resumes at H3R next Friday, July 26 with first race post time at 4:00 pm. Featured will be the second round of the Breeders Trophy Series for three-year-old trotters.
