Cadillac Bayama ends undefeated streak of The Light Speed

Trois-Rivieres, QC – Cadillac Bayama was able to get the goose egg off the harness racing win column in 2021 as he was able to beat the 1/5 favorite, The Light Speed, in the opening round of the Breeders Trophy Series at the Hippodrome 3R Sunday. The crowd for the races was the biggest attendance in over a year at H3R.

The Breeders Trophy Series is for three-year-old pacers and trotters and features three rounds of preliminary competition with the top eight-point earners returning on Sunday, September 12 for their respective $65,000 finals.

The very first race at H3R featured the colt division of the Breeders Trophy Series with unbeaten The Light Speed going for his fifth straight win this season for trainer-driver Guy Gagnon. The son of Moon Beam came into the race off of a stunning 1:52.3 triumph at Rideau Carleton Raceway.

Cadillac Bayama was coming into the race without a win in three starts for Hall of Fame trainer-driver Yves Filion. The Sunshine Beach colt was a fan favorite last year at H3R and two starts back was second by a nose at Mohawk Park in 1:50.4.

As the race got underway it was a two-horse battle from the start. Both Filion and Gagnon went after the early lead with Cadillac Bayama stinging The Light Speed to the opening quarter mile in :27.2.

Once settled on the lead, Gagnon let The Light Speed get a breather to the half mile in :57.2. The two horses then began to pull away from the rest of the field to the three-quarters in 1:26.3.

It was then that Filion and Cadillac Bayama came after The Light Speed and were gaining ground on the final turn. Once collared starting down the stretch, Cadillac Bayama was the strong horse, kicking in another gear and beating The Light Speed by one and one-quarter lengths in 1:55. Ptitebouledchafra (Jocelyn Gendron) was third.

Bred and owned by Filion’s Bayama Farms of Saint-Andre-D’Argenteuit, Cadillac Bayama paid $7.00 to win.

CADILLAC BAYAMA REPLAY

In the fourth race first division of the Breeders Trophy Series for the three-year-old pacing fillies, it was once again Hall of Famer Yves Filion’s Celia Bayama winning over race favorite CL Sportsextreme.

Filion, left from the rail with Celia Bayama, who as a two-year-old, was the Quebec-bred champion in 2021. Celia Bayama came into the race winless in five starts this year, but two starts back was second by a neck in 1:54.1.

With CL Sportsextreme (Jonathan Lachance) content to sit the two-hole trip, Celia Bayama led to the first quarter in :29.4 and then proceeded to cut pedestrian fractions of 1:00.3 to the half mile and 1:30.2 to the three-quarters.

This allowed Ibiza Panic (Francis Picard) to come first-over and give live second-over cover to Whitemountaincammy (Stephane Brosseau) and also kept CL Sportsextreme boxed in.

Filion was able to keep CL Sportsextreme boxed in as they started down the stretch and then pulled away at the wire to win by one and one-half lengths in 2:00.2. CL Sportsextreme was second with Ibiza Panci third.

For Celia Bayama, the daughter of Bettor’s Delight posted her first win of 2021 after six starts for the Bayama Farms. She paid $4.50 to win.

Yves Filion brought just the two horses to H3R and went home with a driver-trainer-owner-breeder double. Filion, age 75, now has 4,175 wins in his career and purse earnings in excess of $26 million.

CELIA BAYAMA REPLAY

In the sixth race second division for the pacing fillies, it was a two-horse battle between local favorite Platine Alpha and invader Got Sexy Scars, who in her last start was second by a nose in 1:52.3 at Georgian Downs.

It was Platine Alpha and driver Pascal Berube who went to the early lead with

Prettydiva (Guy Gagnon) sitting the pocket trip and Got Sexy Scars third as they went to the opening quarter mile in :28.4.

As the field came down the stretch to the half mile, Guy Gagnon came first-over with Got Sexy Scars as Berube backed down the pace to the half mile with Platine Alpha in :59.3.

The action picked up in the backstretch as the two favorites started to separate from the field going to the three-quarters in 1:28.2.

Got Sexy Scars dug in first-over and collared Platine Alpha as they started down the stretch. The two horses went head and head to the wire with Platine Alpha winning by a long nose in the photo finish in 1:57.4. Prettydiva was third.

For Platine Alpha, the filly by Control The Moment posted her sixth win in ten starts this year for trainer, owner and breeder Sylvain Tremblay and his Alpha Stable of Metabetchouan. Platine Alpha is the winningest horse this season at the Hippodrome 3R. She paid $3.00 to win as the wagering favorite.

PLATINE ALPHA REPLAY

In the eighth race Preferred-Handicap Pace, Mickeymaksomespeed and driver Samuel Fillion were able to grind it out first-over against warhorse Atomic Million AM (Sylvain Lacaille) and pull away to win by two lengths in 1:55.3 over D Gs De Vito (Jonathan Lachance) and Somewhere Bettor (Jocelyn Gendron).

A four-year-old stallion by Mickey Hanover, Mickeymaksomespeed is owned, trained and bred by Michel Allard paid $2.70 to win.

Track Notes: Yves Filion, Samuel Fillion and Daniel Laflamme all had driving doubles Sunday. Yves Filion was the only trainer to have a double. Live harness racing resumes at H3R next Friday (July 23) with two-year-old trotting colts and fillies competing in the first round of the Future Stars Series. Post time Friday is 4:00 pm. For more information and free race programs, visit www.hippodrome3r.ca.

For full race results, click here.

From the Quebec Jockey Club