$500,000 Super Sunday held at Hippodrome 3R

The Hippodrome 3R in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec hosted more than $500,000 in purses on Super Sunday, September 8, headlined by the Quebec-Bred Championship Finals for two and three-year-old harness racing trotters and pacers.

For the 12-race card Sunday the total handle of $334,655 was the all-time track record handle, surpassing Super Sunday last year by $11,236.

Here is a synopsis of the race card.

$55,000 2YO Colt Pace Final

The Magic Moment (Control The Moment) lived up to his name for driver Jonathan Lachance as the colt was parked out first-over from the opening quarter in :30 as 15-1 HP Bellissimo (Robert Shepherd) cut fractions of :59.2 and 1:28.4. The Magic Moment kept gaining on the race leader, collaring them in the stretch before winning by three-quarters of a length in a 1:58.3 mile. HP Bellissimo was second with the pocket-sitting Changement Detemps (Stephane Brosseau) third.

It was a lifetime mark and the third win in five starts for The Magic Moment. He is trained by Francis Guillemette for breeder/owners Gestion A & a Belanger, Inc. and Cynthia Cote Dupont of Shawinigan, Que. He paid $2.50 to win.

THE MAGIC MOMENT REPLAY

$55,000 2YO Filly Trot Final

Kinnder Kahina (Northern Escort) and driver Robert Shepherd came first-over against race favorite Chic Choc Rose (Marie-Claude Auger) after the opening quarter mile, taking a lead away by the three-quarters and then held off Soleo (Stephane Brosseau) to win by one length in 2:05.2. Miche Charm (Guy Gagnon) was third.

Trained, owned and bred by Denitza Petrova of Melbourne, Que., it was the second win this year for Kinnder Kahina, who paid $15.60 to win.

KINNDER KAHINA REPLAY

$55,000 2YO Filly Pace Final

For the second straight start, Mirabel Enfete (Leader Bayama) and driver Stephane Brosseau went down the road and this time were able to not only keep race favorite Silver Majesty (Denis St Pierre) parked out first-over for three-quarters of a mile but maintained their lead right to the wire for a one length triumph in 1:59. Silver Majesty was second with the pocket-sitting Justine Ray (Pascal Berube) third.

It was a lifetime mark for Mirabel Enfete, who is trained by Maxime Velaye for owner-breeder Guy Corbeil of Mirabel, Que. and paid $10.40 to win.

MIRABEL ENFETE REPLAY

$55,000 2YO Colt Trot Final

Mass Speed (Muscle Mass) and driver Denis St Pierre took no prisoners from start as they led the field, pulling away by four lengths at the three quarters and then winning by six open lengths in 2:03. Cleveland Z Flash (Robert Shepherd) was second with Big Bank (LPR) third.

It was a lifetime mark, the second straight win and third in the last four starts for Mass Speed. The gelding was bred and is owned and trained by Michel Allard of Saint-Esprit, Que. and paid $3.80 to win.

MASS SPEED REPLAY

$65,000 3YO Filly Pace Final

One More Bet (All Bets Off) and driver Daniel Dube were the overwhelming 1/9 race favorite and raced that way. They came first-over against 25-1 D Gs Lorijeanne (Jonathan Lachance), cleared to the lead after the half mile in :57 and then tore away from the field, winning in a romp by eight and three-quarter lengths in 1:55.2. D Gs Lorijeanne was second with Amour (Sylvain Lacaille) was third.

It was the fourth win this year for One More Bet, who is trained by Jean Tourigny for Les Ecuries Morel, Inc. of Mirabel, who owns and bred One More Bet ($2.10).

ONE MORE BET REPLAY

$65,000 3YO Filly Trot Final

Cleomax Duharas (Muscle Mass) and driver LPR turned a second-over trip into first-over and then wore down race leader MVPs Daughter (Jerome Lombart) in the stretch to win by one length in 2:02. MVPs Daughter held for second with the pocket-sitting HP Agathe (Pascal Berube) third.

The race favorite, Cleomax Duharas posted her fourth win in her last five starts for trainer Marc-Andre Simoneau, who co-owns the filly with Desjardins Noreau Stable, Dany Fontaine and Jean Fontaine. She was bred by Haras De L Estrie, Inc. and paid $2.60 to win.

CLEOMAX DUHARAS REPLAY

$65,000 3YO Colt Pace Final

Boomboom Tonight (Sportswriter) became the only horse in the finals to have won the Championship at age 2 and 3. With driver Pascal Berube in the sulky, Boomboom Tonight shot to the early lead despite a hard rain that started in the post parade. Boomboom Tonight held the field at bay the entire mile, pulling away at the three-quarters in 1:27.4 and the pouring it on in the stretch to win in a ten length romp in 1:56.4. Kinnder Reptile (Marie-Claude Auger) was second with Olad Du Lac (LPR) third.

It was the fifth win in the last six starts for Boomboom Tonight. He was bred and is owned and trained by Elisabeth Pothier of St-Christophe-D’Arthabask, Que. and paid $2.50 to win.

BOOMBOOM TONIGHT REPLAY

$65,000 3YO Colt Trot Final

Captain PV (Wheeling N Dealin) had been dominant in the series and for the Championship final, got a very patience drive from Marie-Clauder Auger, sitting on the rail in the two-hole and by the top of the stretch, race favorite Paradise Moni (Denis St Pierre) bore to the outside, giving Captain PV enough room to squeeze through and just beat 40-1 longshot Drinklikehenry (William Roy) by three-quarters of a length in 2:02.4 over the good track. Wild Dream Men (Guy Gagnon) was third.

It was the seventh win this year for Captain PV and his sixth win in his last seven starts for trainer Serge Nadeau, who co-owns the horse with the Y Corriveau Stable, Inc. of Quebec City, Que. and paid $4.30 to win.

CAPTAIN PV REPLAY

The first of the four Invitationals Sunday was the 1^st race Trot that saw the 1/9 favorite, Royalty Beer (Royalty For Life) and driver LPR quarter moved to retake the lead from X O X O (Simon Allard) and then wired the field with a four length romp in 1:57.4. Treasured Tee (Mario Baillargeon) was second with Rose Run Why Not (Guy Gagnon) third. It was the third win this year for the five-year-old gelding, bred, owned and trained by Jean-Francois Maguire. He paid just $2.10 to win.

The 3^rd race was the Quebec-Bred Special for three-year-old pacers that saw a first-over 14-1 HP Game On (McWicked) and driver Antoine Desrochers park 1/9 race favorite Classic Jim (Guy Gagnon) three-wide from after the half mile until the three-quarters and still held him off to upset the field by one length in 1:58.1. Classic Jim was second with Belgero (Lachance) third.

It was a lifetime mark and the third win this season for HP Game On, who is trained and owned by Guillaume Desrochers of Warwick, Que., paying $31.60 to win.

The 6^th race Mares Invitational Pace saw return winner Rec Time (Huntsville) with driver Simon Allard move first-over before the half mile against pacesetter Shanghaibluebeach (William Roy) and grind it out for a one length triumph in 1:55.2. YS Sensationalcity (Daniel Dube) was second with Beauty Is Blind (LPR) third.

It was the sixth win this year for the four-year-old mare. She is trained by Michel Allard for owner Danielle Henri and paid $2.50 to win.

In the 12^th race Invitational Pace for the older horses, 14-1 Light The Torch (Always B Miki) with driver Pascal Berube followed 1/5 favorite The Light Speed (Guy Gagnon) second-over, then was first-over by the final turn and just would not quit coming down the stretch to beat The Light Speed by a nose in 1:56.2. Early pacesetter Twin B Powerball (LPR) was third.

It was the third straight win and eighth victory on the year for Light The Torch. The four-year-old gelding is trained by Marc-Andre Simoneau, who co-owns him with Jean Fontaine and paid $29.00 to win.

Track Notes: Both Louis-Philippe Roy and Pascal Berube had driving doubles Sunday while Michel Allard and Marc-Andre Simoneau both had training doubles. Live racing resumes at H3R next Friday, Sept. 13, which will be the last Friday twilight card of the 2024 season. First race post time is 4:00 pm. For more information and free race programs, visit here.

For complete race results, click here.

by Steve Wolf, for the Quebec Jockey Club