Thats Hooligan dominating trotting ranks at H3R

Harness racing owner-trainer Peter Lepage of St-Liguori in Quebec had done an exceptional job in preparing Thats Hooligan (Rose Run Hooligan) for the start of the racing season at the Hippodrome 3R (H3R) as the trotter has now won three straight races.

Friday (June 7) was the first Friday twilight card of the season at H3R with post time at 4:00 pm.

Starting from post seven in the 5^th race Preferred Trot, Thats Hooligan and regular driver Marie-Claude Auger floated out of the starting gate on the outside in sixth place as 25-1 Muscles Forever (Sylvain Fontaine) shot to the early lead with Miles Of Muscle (Robert Shepherd) getting the two-hole trip. They went by the opening quarter in :30.1.

Muscles Forever led the field to the half mile in a pedestrian 1:01.1 as Thats Hooligan methodically started marching first-over with Frido PV (Pascal Berube) second-over.

Down the backstretch and Thats Hooligan continued to wear down Muscles Forever and was clearing to the lead by three-quarters in 1:31.2. Around the final turn and Thats Hooligan started to open up some daylight as they came down the stretch, breezing to a two and one-half length triumph in 2:00.4. Only For Justice (Francis Picard) closed from seventh place on the final turn to finish second. Muscles Forever was third.

THATS HOOLIGAN REPLAY

Undefeated in three starts this year, Thats Hooligan, an eight-year-old gelding, was overlooked in the wagering and went off at odds of 6-1, paying $14.00 to win.

Driver William Roy took down the Daily Double Friday, winning the 1^st race pace with 21-1 Aphro Star ($45.30) in 1:57.1 and then the 2^nd race trot with 5-1 Drinklikehenry ($12.50) in 2:01.4. The $2 Daily Double paid $655.10.

For the first time in many years, H3R held a race just for amateur drivers Friday. Amateur drivers do not accept any money for driving horses and donate their earnings to charity.

The 8^th race amateur pace saw rookie 19-year-old driver Mathys Lapointe of La Malbale, Que. won his first pari-mutuel race with Joltin Joe (Riverboat King) in 1:58.2. They came after race leader Fancy Girl (Pierre Marc Longpre) in the backstretch, took the lead away by three-quarters and pulled away for a four-length romp. They paid $8.90 to win.

JOLTIN JOE REPLAY

Track Notes: Both William Roy and Marie-Claude Auger scored driving doubles. Live racing resumes at H3R Sunday with first race post time at 12:00 noon. Featured will be the 10^th race Preferred Pace where last week’s winner, Kiss Me Bad and owner, trainer, driver Steven Gagnon will start from post four against Mohawk Park invader, Thong Control (post one) and return winners Doc Huston (post 5) and Twizzler GT (post seven). For more information and free race program, visit here.

by Steve Wolf, for the Quebec Jockey Club