Simply The Best lives up to her name

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 5^th 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 8^th 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 10^th 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 9^th 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