Aladdin upsets The Light Speed in Quebec-Bred Series

Aladdin (Shadow Play), a 6-1 longshot, upset harness racing favorite The Light Speed, who was gunning for his fourth straight win Sunday (June 11) at the Hippodrome 3R in Quebec in the opening round of the Quebec-Bred Series.

The series is for 4-year-old and older pacers and trotters. Sunday’s card featured one $6,500 division for pacing horses and two for the pacing mares.

The 9^th race was the older horses and saw Mickeymaksomespeed (Jocelyn Gendron) get the early lead with Shanghaigold (Marie-Claude Auger) getting the pocked seat while Ritchie Alpha and driver Loic Gueriel) were parked out first-over with no place to drop in. The first quarter went in :27.2.

By the half mile marker, Ritchie Alpha was blocking the outside flow, forcing Aladdin and driver Stephane Brosseau to go three-wide at the half in :56.3. Following the three-wide move was the race favorite The Light Speed and driver Jimmy Gagnon.

Around the third turn Brosseau was able to clear to the lead with Aladdin, but also clearing was The Light Speed and they wanted the lead as they passed the three-quarters in 1:25.1.

Though it seemed that Aladdin had every reason to give up the lead, he stayed determined and came on in the stretch to hold off The Light Speed by a neck in 1:54.2. Mickeymaksomespeed was third.

ALADDIN REPLAY

Paying $14.50 to win, it was the first victory in two starts this year for Aladdin. The four-year-old gelding is trained by Maxime Velaye for owner-breeder Guy Corbeil of Mirabel, Quebec.

The first of the two $6,500 divisions of the series for older pacing mares, was the 5^th race and it got underway with Ontario invader Lili GL (Up The Credit) and driver Pascal Berube making the most of starting from the rail and shooting right to the early lead.

With Platine Alpha (Jimmy Gagnon), the overwhelming 1/5 race favorite, also leaving from post five and elected to drop into the two-hole as they passed the opening quarter mile in :27.4.

No one was willing to come first-over against Fancy Girl as she led the field past the half mile in :57.4. Then, right at the three-quarters in 1:26.2, Gagnon pulled on the right line and sent Platine Alpha after Lili GL.

Those two would pull away from the field on the final turn and locked horns in an intense battle that continued down the stretch and all the way to the wire where Lili GL would not give in and won by a head in 1:55.3 over Platine Alpha. Quoi (Jonathan Lachance) was six and three-quarter lengths back to finish third.

LILI GL REPLAY

It was a lifetime mark for Lili GL and the second win this season. The five-year-old mare is trained by Marc-Andre Simoneau for owners Francois Dupuis, Richard Kelly and Ronald Kelly of Quebec City. She paid $7.30 to win.

The 7^th race second division saw an amazing three-wide move by Kiss Me Bad (Badlands Hanover) and driver Daniel Mondou and a burst of speed in the stretch to win in 1:56.4.

Fancy Girl (Jonathan Lachance) cut the mile with Sophies Cam (Pascal Berube) sitting the two-hole trip to a :28.2 first quarter. Fancy Girl led to the half in :58.4 as race favorite Celia Bayama (Stephane Brosseau) came first-over with Kiss Me Bad second-over.

Celia Bayama was not advancing fast enough in first-over for driver Daniel Mondou, so they moved three-wide but could not clear at the three-quarters in 1:27.3. Stuck three-wide around the final turn, Celia Bayama seemed to fade a bit while Fancy Girl still had some pace left in her. But Kiss Me Bad had great momentum and came on at the finish to win by a head in 1:56.4 with Celia Bayama second and Fancy Girl third.

KISS ME BAD REPLAY

It was the first win in three starts this year for Kiss Me Bad. The seven-year-old mare is owned and trained by Steven Gagnon of Sorel-Tracy and paid $8.30 to win.

Track Notes: Three drivers, Pascal Berube, Stephane Brosseau and Jocelyn Gendron all scored driving triples. Trainer Marc-Andre Simoneau also had a triple from his stable and Maxime Velaye a training double. Live racing resumes next Friday, June 16 with first race post time at 4:00 pm. Featured will be the opening round of the Quebec-Bred Series for older trotters. For more information and free race programs, visit here.

For complete race results, click here.

by Steve Wolf, for the Quebec Jockey Club