LPR sweeps all four stakes races on Builders Day

It was Builder’s Day at the Hippodrome 3R Sunday (Oct. 1) with the Quebec Jockey Club playing tribute to some of the great harness racing horsemen from Quebec who have had great influence in the development and promotion of harness racing in the province.

On the racetrack it was Louis-Philippe Roy (LPR) Day as he won all four of the stakes’ races on the program. Three of them were also won by trainer Jacques Dupont and the CSL Stable of Sorel-Tracy, Quebec.

Honored in the winner’s circle before the first race were Benoit Cote, Gilles Lachance (Jonathan Lachance accepting), Gaetan Lamy, Pierre Levesque and Alain Veilleux. In addition, the race card featured two $60,000 Invitational pacing events honoring the late Brian Paquet and two $17,500 divisions of the Lucien Bombardier Pace for two-year-old fillies. Both men were renowned “Builders” of racing in Quebec and throughout Canada.

The $60,000 Brian Paquet Memorial for the pacing horses proved to be the fastest mile of the season at H3R.

The 10^th race saw Aladdin (Pascal Berube) shoot to the early lead Sports Bettor (Kevin Maguire) getting the two-hole trip as LPR and race favorite Cadillac Bayama (Sunshine Beach) came right out from being third and shot to the lead with an opening quarter in a pedestrian :28.1.

Then the pressure picked up as HP Momentum (Pascal Berube) came first-over and pushed Cadillac Bayama to the half in :56 and then to the three-quarters in 1:24, yet never gaining past Cadillac Bayama’s saddle pad.

As they came down the stretch, LPR urged Cadillac Bayama on and he responded, winning by two lengths in 1:52. Aladdin was second with HP Momentum third.

The 1:52 clocking was the fastest mile of the year at H3R and it was the fifth win this season for Cadillac Bayama. The former Quebec bred Champion, now age five, is trained by Jacques Dupont for the CSL Stable and paid $3.10 to win. He was bred by Bayama Farms.

CADILLAC BAYAMA REPLAY

The $60,000 Brian Paquet Memorial for the pacing mares was the 8^th race where Ladycorona (Pascal Berube) took the early lead to the quarter in :27.2. LPR then came first-over with race favorite JKs Rollin Baby (JK Endofanera) and cleared to the lead and led to the half mile in :56.3.

YS Sensationalcity (William Roy) had already started up first-over and went after JKs Rollin Baby, pressing the pace at the half and then at the three-quarters in 1:25.4. They raced together around the final turn and coming down the stretch, JKs Rollin Baby and LPR proved to be too much, winning by one length in 1:54.1. YS Sensationalcity was second with Ladycorona third.

It was the fifth win this season for the four-year-old mare who is trained by Jacques Dupont for the CSL Stable of Sorel-Tracy. She was bred by Mahlon Lambright and paid $4.40 to win.

JKS ROLLIN BABY REPLAY

The first $17,500 division of the Lucien Bombardier Pace was the 5^th race where the 1/9 favorite Sweet Molly (Sweet Lou) put a bit of a scare to her supporters, but still came out on top.

D Gs Lorijeanne (Jonathan Lachance) left like a rocket from post five to take the early lead with Sweet Molly (LPR) in the pocket-seat as they went by the first quarter in :28.

Then My Last Kiss (Robert Shepherd) came first-over looking to flush Sweet Molly first over, but it never happened. They went by the half mile in :59.3 and My Last Kiss started working their way up to be on even terms with D Gs Lorijeanne with Roy then moving out second-over with Sweet Molly by the three-quarters in 1:29.1.

As the two leaders battled head and head around the final turn, Roy fanned three-wide with Sweet Molly. The three horses battled to the wire with Sweet Molly pulling away just in time to win by a half a length in 1:58.4. My Last Kiss was second with D Gs Lorijeanne third.

It was the third career win for Sweet Molly and the first time Louis-Philippe Roy had ever driven the filly. She is trained by Jacques Dupont for the CSL Stable and was bred by Spring Haven Farm and Doug Millard Holdings. She paid $2.30 to win.

SWEET MOLLY REPLAY

The 7^th race second division of the Lucien Bombardier Pace saw Ronda Du Lac (Shadow Play) put in the toughest and fastest race of her career with Louis-Philippe Roy in the sulky.

The Heart Valley (Francis Picard) led to the quarter in :28.2 with LPR coming aboard Ronda Du Lac. But Picard was not letting LPR get by him and parked Ronda Du Lac past the half mile in :57.2.

They continued to battle in the backstretch as race favorite Mybitcoin (Stephane Brosseau) moved second-over behind Ronda Du Lac, who finally cleared to the lead by the three-quarters in 1:27.

Around the final turn Rhonda Du Lac was strong on the lead and held off Mybitcoin down the stretch to win by one and one-half lengths in 1:57.3. The Heart Valley was third.

It was a lifetime mark for Rhonda Du Lac and her third win of the season. She is trained by David Pilon for owners Louis-Philippe Roy, Maude Larouche, Michel Letarte and Jean Allaire and was bred by Roy. She paid $6.30 to win.

RONDA DU LAC REPLAY

Track Notes: LPR led the way with four winners, then Simon Delisle, Robert Shepherd and Marie-Claude Auger all had driving doubles. Both Jacques Dupont and David Pilon had training triples. Pilon is now tied with Marc-Andre Simoneau for leading trainer, both with 23 wins. Next weekend H3R will feature live racing both Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 7 & 8) with post time Saturday at 1:00 pm and Sunday at 12:00 noon. Saturday’s program will feature the Quebec Regional Fair Circuit Finals. For more information and free race programs, visit here.

For complete race results, click here: Canadian Results

by Steve Wolf, for the Quebec Jockey Club