La Petite Grise gets revenge in Mares Open

Trois-Rivieres, QC – La Petite Grise (Sportswriter) and driver Pascal Berube avenged their loss last week to Platine Alpha, leading from start to finish in the $6,000 Preferred-Handicap Pace for mares Sunday (June 19) at the Hippodrome 3R.

The 6th race feature saw Fancy Girl and driver Francis Picard shoot to the lead only to have to give way to the 1/5 race favorite, La Petite Grise and Berube as they flew to the lead before the opening quarter mile in an easy :29.1.

Going to the half mile La Petite Grise led the field in :58.4. Jimmy Gagnon came first-over with Platine Alpha but was not gaining on the race leaders as they sped to the three-quarters in 1:28.1.

Off the final turn La Petite Grise and Berube pulled away in the stretch to win going away by two and one-quarter lengths in 1:57.2. Fancy Girl was second with Molly Kool (Stephane Brosseau) third and Platine Alpha fourth.

It was the fourth win in just seven starts for La Petite Grise. She is trained by Fernand Jodoin, who co-owns the four-year-old mare with Michel Letendre. She paid $2.50 to win.

LA PETITE GRISE REPLAY

The 7th race $7,000 Preferred-Handicap Pace for the horses saw a four-wide field on the final turn and D Gs De Vito (Sportswriter), and driver Jonathan Lachance emerge on top when the dust settled.

The race started off with an early slugfest as Spectrum Seelster and driver Francis Picard had the lead, but Mickeymaksomespeed and driver Kiwon Waldron wanted to take it away. Picard refused and forced Waldron to back off and put Mickeymaksomespeed in the two-hole at the first quarter in :27.3.

Coming first-over at the half mile in :57.3 was Goldinthebadlands for driver Stephane Brosseau with D Gs De Vito and Lachance second-over as Spectrum Seelster continued to lead the field past the three-quarters in 1:27.3.

Then the action really took place as Lachance came three-wide with D Gs De Vito and the race favorite, Siddhartha and driver Steeven Genois, going for their third straight win, was four-wide around the final turn.

All four horses were head and head starting down the stretch, but it was D Gs De Vito and Lachance who had enough left in the tank to pull ahead for a one and one-quarter length triumph in 1:57.4. Siddhartha was second with Histoire Enchantee (Simon Delisle) third.

A six-year-old gelding by Sportswriter, D Gs De Vito notched his second win of the season for trainer Gylaine Fortin. D Gs De Vito was bred and is owned by Daniel Surprenant of Saint-Valentin. He paid $10.70 to win.

D GS DE VITO REPLAY

Windsun Cheyenne (Cam’s Card Shark) continues to be the winningest horse at H3R this season. On Sunday, parked out first-over against pacesetter Outlaw Turn N Burn (Francis Picard), driver Pascal Berube kept Windsun Cheyenne ($3.70) alive and then pulled away on the final turn to win in a romp by four and one-half lengths in 1:55.4.

It was the fastest mile of the afternoon and the sixth win of the season, five at H3R for Windsun Cheyenne. He is trained and owned by Gina Bragagnolo of Lavaltrie.

Track Notes: H3R leading driver and defending driving champion, Pascal Berube, had a driving triple Sunday. Live racing resumes next Friday, first race post time at 4:00 pm. For more information on the Hippodrome 3R, click here.

For complete race results, click here.

By Steve Wolf, for the Quebec Jockey Club