Hall Win, X O X O score; Berube wins five

Trois-Rivieres, QC – It was a classic harness racing match-up between local favorite Hall Win and invader Emotions Riches that stole the show at the Hippodrome 3R Sunday in the opening round of the Breeders Trophy Series for three-year-old trotters.

Pascal Berube was tied with Stephane Brosseau at 26 wins each in the drivers’ standings at the start of the Friday race card. By the end of the day, Berube had a four-win lead, scoring a driving quintuplet and Brosseau had just one win.

Berube now leads the driving standings with 31 wins to 27 for Brosseau.

The eighth race co-feature started off with the favorite Emotions Riches and driver Stephane Brosseau leaving for the early lead from post six. But Hall Win (post 2) and trainer-driver Kevin Maguire had other ideas and stung

Emotions Riches to the opening quarter in :27.3 and did not let them get to the lead.

After stuffing Emotions Riches into the two-hole, Maguire was content to cut the mile with Hall Win to the half in :58.4 and the three-quarters in 1:29.4 as the two young trotters were six lengths ahead of the rest of the field.

On the final turn, Gendron came out again to challenge with Emotions Riches, but the favorite did not have it within him and Hall Win did, going on to win by one length in 2:00.3. Ciel Bleu (Jonathan Lachance) was third.

Sired by Angus Hall, it was the fourth win in just six starts this year for Hall Win. Bred and owned by the Maguire Stable of Sainte-Marie, Hall Win paid $5.50 to win. He has now won four of his last five starts.

HALL WIN REPLAY

X O X O and trainer-driver Jerome Lombart of Bromont annihilated the field in the third race division of the Breeders Trophy Series for three-year-old trotting fillies. Lombart, who owns and bred the daughter of Angus Hall, sent X O X O right to the lead and by the opening quarter mile was already up by six lengths over Tuscans Beauty (Stephane Brosseau) to the first quarter in :29.1. X O X O increased that lead going to the half mile in :59.1 up by 16 lengths and then the three-quarters in 1:30.

X O X O was able to extend that lead down the stretch, winning by nine open lengths in 2:00.4. SOS Mya (Daniel Laflamme) was second with Tuscans Beauty third. It was a lifetime mark for X O X O who  paid $2.30 to win as the 1/9 favorite.

X O X O REPLAY

Track Notes: Trainer Sylvain Tremblay increased his lead in the trainer standing, scoring a triple Friday and now has 16 wins, six ahead of reigning champion Francis Richard. The H3R racing surface was in prime shape as five of the ten races produced lifetime marks for the horses. Live racing resumes on Sunday at 12:30 pm with the opening round of the Breeders Trophy Series for three-year-old pacers. There are three divisions with the colts going in the 1st race, then the fillies compete in two divisions, races 4 and 6. For a free race program go to www.hippodrome3r.ca.

From the Quebec Jockey Club