Filion takes both divisions of Breeders Trophy Series

It was Yves Filion Day at the Hippodrome 3R Sunday afternoon as the harness racing Hall of Famer drove the winners of both $8,000 divisions of the Breeders Trophy Series for three-year-old pacers.

This was the final preliminary round of the series with the eight top point earners now returning to H3R on Sunday, September 12 for their respective $65,000 finals.

Cadillac Bayama and Hall of Fame trainer-driver Yves Filion had little trouble handling the field in the fourth race colt division.

Sent off at the overwhelming 1/9 race favorite, coupled with entry stablemate Colonel Bayama (Justin Filion), Yves Filion sent Cadillac Bayama right after the lead and taking it away from Colonel Bayama before the opening quarter mile in :28.4.

Filion then backed down the pace going to the half in a slow :59.2. That brought out YS Do It Right (Stephane Brosseau) first-over with Chantee (Stephane Gendron) second-over. But those two could not gain any ground on Cadillac Bayama as Filion picked up the pace, going to the three-quarters in 1:28.1.

With only his stablemate to contend with at the top of the stretch, Cadillac Bayama tore away from the field with a :55 last half to win with ease by three and one-half lengths in 1:56.2. Colonel Bayama was second with YS Do It Right third.

For Cadillac Bayama, a Bayama’s Farms of Saint-Andre-D’Argenteuil homebred colt by Sunshine Beach, it was his third win this season, all three coming in the Breeders Trophy Series at H3R. He paid the mandatory $2.10 to win.
In the Breeders Trophy Series filly division, the start of the eighth race saw Filion sending Celia Bayama right to the lead and never looking back en route to an easy 1:57.2 triumph.

CADILLAC BAYAMA REPLAY

Celia Bayama cut fractions of :28.3 and :58.4 holding the field at bay with Whitemountaincammy (Stephane Brosseau) sitting the pocket-trip and then the race favorite CL Sportsextreme (Stephane Gendron) came first-over in the backstretch and nearly headed Celia Bayama at the three-quarters in 1:28.1.

The outside route took its toll on CL Sportsextreme as she could not keep up with Celia Bayama who won with ease by one and one-quarter lengths with Whitemountaincammy closing for second place and CL Sportsextreme third.

For Celia Bayama, the daughter of Bettor’s Delight notched her second win of the season. She, like Cadillac Bayama, is bred and owned by Bayama Farms. She paid $7.20 to win.

CELIA BAYAMA REPLAY

Super Sunday at H3R will not only feature the four $65,000 finals of the Breeders Trophy Series, but also the four $55,000 finals of the Future Stars Series. Super Sunday is the richest day of horse racing in Quebec.

In the ninth race Preferred Pace for the mares, trainer-driver Steve Gagnon took 6-1 Kiss Me Bad first-over against pacesetter Shes Movin On (Samuel Filion) and roughed it out on the outside for most of the mile race and came on to win by one and one-quarter lengths in 1:57.1. Gagnon, of Sorel Tracy, owns the five-year-old mare by Badlands Hanover. She paid $15.10 to win.

Track Notes: Yves Filion had both a driving and training double on Sunday. Also scoring driving doubles were Steven Gagnon, Pascal Berube and Stephane Brosseau. Next weekend at H3R is the third and last preliminary rounds of the Future Stars Series for two-year-old trotters and pacers. The trotters go on Friday (Aug. 27) and the pacers on Sunday (Aug. 29). For more information, click here.

by Steve Wolf, for the Quebec Jockey Club