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Simply The Best (All Bets Off) had no trouble living up to her name Sunday (Sept. 22) at the Hippodrome 3R in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec as the harness racing filly led from start to finish in winning a co-feature pace.
The 5th race $5,000 Open Pace for two-year-old fillies saw Simply The Best and driver Pascal Berube scoot right to the early lead from post two with Mystic Moment (Marie-Claude Auger) leaving from post seven and getting the two-hole trip.
Simply The Best cut the mile to the quarter in :29.3 and the half mile 1:00.4 before race favorite Silver Majesty (Denis St Pierre) started up first-over heading into the backstretch. But Silver Majesty was still two-lengths back in third place at the three-quarters in 1:30.4.
By the top of the stretch, Simply The Best continued to be the strong horse, holding off Silver Majesty in the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:59.2. The pocket-sitting Mystic Moment was third.
SIMPLY THE BEST REPLAY
It was the third win this season for Simply The Best. She is trained by Marc-Andre Simoneau, for Aurel Harvey Et Fils, Inc. and paid $9.30 to win.
The 8th race $6,000 Three-Year-Old Pace for Quebec-breds saw a dogfight for the lead right from the start as the lone filly in the field, Butterfly Catcher (Antoine Desrochers) held off a determined Handsoffnosein (Pascal Berube) past the opening quarter in :27.4, before Berube backed off and put Handsoffnosein in the two-hole.
Then coming to the half mile, Foiled Dragon (Jocelyn Gendron) was first-over with second-over Classic Jim (Big Jim) and driver Stephane Brosseau sweeping three-wide at the half mile in :57 and then clearing to the lead on the third turn.
Classic Jim led to the three-quarters in 1:27 as Handsoffnosein came back out first-over but could not make up enough ground in the stretch as Classic Jim held on to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:57.4 over Handsoffnosein with HP Game On (Marie-Claude Auger) third.
CLASSIC JIM REPLAY
It was the fifth win this season for Classic Jim. He is trained and co-owned by Carl Duguay with Investissement K F B and paid $5.20 to win.
The fastest mile on the day was the 10th race pace where overwhelming race favorite Uncontrollable (Control The Moment) swept four-wide from seventh place in the backstretch. Cleared to first-over on the final turn, collared pacesetter Ritchie Alpha (William Roy) in the stretch and then pulled away for a five-length romp in 1:55.4. Eataams Sportsbaby (Marie-Claude Auger) was second, a nose ahead of third place finisher Pey Bug (Denis St Pierre).
It was the second straight win and sixth of the season for Uncontrollable. The six-year-old gelding paid $2.20 to win for trainer Johanne Dechamplain, who co-owns with Steve Perreault.
UNCONTROLLABLE REPLAY
Jimbelina (Big Jim) barely held off co-favorite Beauty Is Blind to win the 9th race $5,000 Preferred Pace for the mares in 1:56.2. Driven by Marie-Claude Auger, Jimbelina wired the field, winning by a head over Beauty Is Blind (Pascal Berube) with Mach N Blue Cheez (Robert Shepherd) was third. Jimbelina paid $6.10 to win in her fourth win of the season for trainer Andre Champagne and owner Roland Trudel.
JIMBELINA REPLAY
Track Notes: Both William Roy and Pascal Berube scored driving doubles on Sunday. Live harness racing resumes next Sunday, Sept. 29 at 12:00 noon. For more information and free race programs, visit here.
For complete race results, click here.
by Steve Wolf, for the Quebec Jockey Club
