Quebec fair fighters battle in finals

Trois-Rivieres, QC – On a rare Saturday afternoon (Sept. 17), the Hippodrome 3R played host to the harness racing finals of the Quebec Regional Fair Circuit. The fairs are raced at training centers throughout Quebec during the summer months.

The toughest matchup of the afternoon took place in the 7th race pace between Disneyman (Sportswriter) and Mickeymaksomespeed.

Disneyman and driver Maxim Gaudreault, whom you usually see training or owning horses, not driving them, had taken the early lead in the race and was challenged on the outside immediately by Mickeymaksomespeed and catch-driver Ghislain Boisvert, who is not yet a household name as a driver.

Boisvert and Mickeymaksomespeed were the 1/5 favorite and they wanted the lead. Maxim Gaudreault and Disneyman said no way. They fought neck and neck to the first quarter in :28. Then they fought to the half mile in :57.1.

In the backstretch neither horse nor driver would give an inch as they were still neck and neck apart, Mickeymaksomespeed parked first-over the entire mile. At the three-quarters in 1:27.1, Jaydens Place (Pascal Berube) joined the fray, coming three-wide and was parked out around the final turn.

They were three across the track as they started down the stretch, but Disneyman proved to be the strongest as he went on to win by a half a length in 1:58.1 over Jaydens Place with Mickeymaksomespeed third.

DISNEYMAN REPLAY

It was the second straight win and fifth of the season for Disneyman. In his prior start he set a fair record for a 1.5 mile race in 3:09. He is trained by Francis Richard and owned by brother Charles Gaudreault of Gabrielle St Onge and paid $15.90 to win.

The most anticipated race of the day was the 10th and last on the card. This race featured only women drivers from the Regional Fairs.

El Torero (Andree Pelletier) was first on the lead with SOS Mach Xtreme (Mach Three, Roxanne Viau) sitting the pocket seat and the race favorite, Spectrum Seelster and driver Gabrielle St Onge parked first-over.

El Torero cut fractions of :27.4 and :57.2 while Spectrum Seelster was parked out. By three-quarters in 1:28.1, Spectrum Seelster had enough, and then on the final turn it was SOS Mach Xtreme and Roxanne Viau who came after El Torero.

Those two battled down the stretch with SOS Mach Xtreme, at odds of 13-1, upsetting the field with a one length triumph in 1:59. El Torero held for second with Ninocredit (Nathalie Migneault) third.

A 12-year-old gelding, it was the fourth win of the season for SOS Mach Xtreme. He is trained by Michel Audet, who co-owns him with Roxanne Viau. He paid $28.90 to win.

SOS MACH XTREME REPLAY

The Quebecois Finale was the 8th race pace that saw Clear The Credit (Up The Credit) and driver Steve Gagnon come first-over in the backstretch, clearing to the lead by three-quarters en route to a one length 2:02.3 triumph. It was his second win this year for trainer and co-owner Catherine Lafrance with Maxime Dubuc. He paid $2.90 to win.

It seems that every year at the Fair Finals at H3R, trainer Marc Lemay gets in the sulky and wins. This year it was the 9th race, which featured mainly harness racing trainers. Lemay was aboard his own horse, Macho Polo (Mach Three) and they wired the field by four lengths in 1:58.2, paying $4.10 to win.

Track Notes: Steven Gagnon had a driving double and his two wins were with Catherine Lafrance, giving her a training double. Live racing resumes tomorrow (Sunday, Sept. 18) afternoon starting at 12:00 noon. Featured will be three Preferred events. For a free race program, click here.

For complete race results, click here.

by Steve Wolf, for the Quebec Jockey Club