Peter Lepage making headlines with one-horse stable

Peter Lepage of St-Liguori, Quebec has been training harness racing horses as sort of a hobby since 1998, but he has never had such a good start as this year, where his Universal Trainer Rating System (batting average) is a perfect 1.000 as his trotter Thats Hooligan is a perfect three-for-three this season at the Hippodrome 3R (H3R) in Trois-Rivieres, Que.

Lepage, 60, says “My father, Henri Lepage, has always had racehorses. I have had broodmares and babies and trained some over the years, but now I just have my one trotter. I have always been at the turn of the horses at the races. I love being with and seeing horses compete.”

Thats Hooligan (Rose Run Hooligan) is an eight-year-old gelding that Lepage acquired back in 2022. Last year he won four times and took a lifetime record at H3R of 1:58.4. After a winter’s rest, Thats Hooligan has returned a monster and in peak form. In all three of his wins, he has not “seen the rail” having gone the long route first-over from the start and grinds his way to easy victories against the best trotters in Quebec.

“A few years earlier,” Lepage recalled. “We had seen him at his previous owner’s farm, and he had caught our eye with his look and his kindness. My wife Aimée was still thinking about him after several years and her former owner called us to offer him to us because he needed space for his future horses. Since that day, he has belonged to my wife and I.”

What has happened to have this horse perform so well this season?

“We work as a team,” Lepage explained. “With the vet and the blacksmith to heal the small aches and pains from the previous season. He is given lots of care and time off as well as treats.”

Since Lepage has gotten Thats Hooligan in his stable, his main go to driver has been Marie-Claude Auger, who is currently the second leading driver at H3R.

“We found that she (Marie-Claude Auger) was standing out more and more on the racetrack,” Lepage added. “So, we asked her if she wanted to drive our horse. Since then, they have made a good duo, we work as a team for the best of Thats Hooligan. We really like Marie-Claude.”

Will the winning streak continue for Thats Hooligan?

“I believe in him,” Lepage said. “So, he is able to move forward by any means. He has more confidence in himself, so he tries to surpass himself each time. There are very good horses against him on Friday, but he has already shown us that he is capable of standing out alongside them and giving his all. It remains a race above all, so a surprise at the end.”

Thats Hooligan starts from the far outside in post 8 in the 4th race Preferred Trot with Auger in the sulky and despite the outside post, they are the 3-1 second choice in the race. The role of favorite has gone to Only For Justice (post 6) for driver Francis Picard. Last week in the Preferred Trot, Only For Justice was second best to Thats Hooligan.

Other contenders in the field include Vitor (post 9) for driver Steven Gagnon, Frido PV (post 7) with driver Pascal Berube and Muscles Forever (post 4) for driver Sylvain Fontaine.

First race post time at H3R Friday for the twilight card is 4:00 pm. For more information and free race programs, visit here.

by Steve Wolf, for the Quebec Jockey Club