TROIS-RIVIERES, Quebec, May 31, 2015 – The best harness racing pacers eligible to the $200,000 Quebec-Bred Series for 4- and 5-year-olds meet for their second preliminary round Sunday afternoon at Hippodrome 3R, with two $6500 fields of mares facing the starter in races 1 and 3 and a single $6500 dash for horses and geldings slated for race 6.
In the first of the three preliminary rounds leading up to each division's $35,000 Championship, there were also two events for mares, with both events taken by the heavy favorite in a runaway. Each winner is back Sunday, but each faces a challenge if they are to keep up their series record unblemished.
The Santanna Blue Chip mare Champagne Shower won by 11 lengths last week in 1:56.4, and she is justly the favorite for round two as she starts from post two in the field of six for driver Denis St. Pierre, 3R's defending driver champion; trainer Yves Tessier; and owner Sotirios Anastasopoulos.
Among those in the wake of Champagne Shower last week was Chauleurs Fantasy, who also has the difficulty in starting from the outside post Sunday. But the daughter of Omar Khayyam, conditioned by Carl Duguay and to be driven by Stephane Gendron for Elevage Baie Des Chaleurs, should be better in this, her second start of 2015 – and in her last start of 2014, she won her $65,000 three-year-old Championship, with among the conquered that day being none other than Champagne Shower!
In the other mares division, Victoria Semalu led at every call in scoring by over six lengths in 1:56.1, and again will draw her share of the fans' attention. The American Dream mare begins from post four for trainer Dany Fontaine, owner Ecurie Gaetan Bono Inc, and driver Stephane Brosseau, who has "come out of the gate" in hot form this season to be the leading driver at 3R to date.
Starting two posts inside Victoria Semalu will be the Western Ideal mare My Tallia Ideal, who will be guided by Denis St. Pierre for trainer Michael Allard and the ownership duo of Gestion Mario Audet Inc and Yves Sarrazin. My Tallia Ideal comes to 3R after having been facing very good mares at Pocono Downs in Pennsylvania, where she won in 1:51.2 last month, and obviously her best mile makes her a major factor here. The divisional track record of 1:54.3, set by Sans Frontiere in 2013, could be in jeopardy in either division, given ideal conditions.
In the lone event for horses and geldings, the field of seven will not miss Atomic Million AM, who takes this week off from the series after winning last week in 1:55.2, pacing his last half in 55.4. Certainly Bali (post seven, driver Marie Claude Auger) and My Lucky Bluejeans (post five, driver Stephane Gendron) will be comforted by the absence of Atomic Million AM after finishing second and third, respectively, to him last week.
However, an invader from Ontario, Champagne Phil, should definitely attract a good share of the backing, coming off a 1:49.4 victory at Mohawk last Saturday. The Shanghai Phil gelding, set to be driven by Denis St. Pierre for trainer Francis Richard and owners ICR Racing, has post two on Sunday, and is comfortable winning on or off the pace.
The first of ten races will start at 1:30 p.m. at Hippodrome 3R on Sunday.
Quebec Jockey Club
