Tremblay’s Queen of Pace at H3R goes Sunday

Trois-Rivieres, QC – If harness racing owner, breeder and trainer, Sylvain Tremblay, has the Princess of Trot in three-year-old Stella Alpha (Royalty For Life), who won again on Friday, then Platine Alpha (Control The Moment) is currently the Queen of Pace at the Hippodrome 3R as she goes Sunday (June 19) for her third straight win.

The 6th race is the Preferred-Handicap Pace for mares and Platine Alpha was handicapped and drew the far outside post eight for driver Jimmy Gangon.

Tremblay, who hails from Metabetchouan, which is more than a three-hour drive one way to Trois-Rivieres, has made the trips worthwhile as he is again the leading trainer this season at H3R with 10 wins from his stable. He has an impressive UTRS (batting average) of .406 and his stable is the leading money winning barn in 2022 at $30,348.

So, Platine Alpha got off to a slow start in 2022 and has now picked up the speed she had shown last year when she won nine times and was the winningest horse at H3R. Two starts back the four-year-old mare was parked-out the mile against rival La Petite Grise and still came away with a 1:58.2 victory.

Then just two days later, last Sunday, she raced again, got a two-hole trip and breezed home in 1:58.3. That’s how she became the Queen of Trot at H3R.

While usually not a leaver from the starting gate, Platine Alpha did show a race back on May 22 where she left from post six into a :28.3 first quarter and then wired the field.

“She is in perfect shape,” Tremblay said about racing his mare two days apart last week. “Platinum despite position 8 should fight a good battle on Sunday.”

La Petite Grise (Sportswriter), French for The Little Gray, starts alongside Platine Alpha in post seven for driver Pascal Berube. She is one of the few who has beaten her rival in the past.

A four-year-old mare, La Petite Grise is trained and co-owned by Fernand Jodoin of St-Pie-De-Bagot with Michel Letendre of Saint-Jude. She has yet to finish worse than second in six starts with three wins, the fastest a 1:57 score at H3R.

Also in the field are Sophie’s Cam (post 6) a 1:57.1 winner two starts back, Whitemountaincammy (post 2) and Fancy Girl (post 1).

Three return winners headline the 7^th race Preferred-Handicap Pace for the horses, but all eyes will be on Siddhartha (So Surreal) from post six for driver Steeven Genois as they go for their third straight win.

The six-year-old gelding has been in peak form as of late for owner-trainer Louis-Philippe Turcotte of Trois-Rivieres and last week was the proof as Siddhartha got live cover and flew off it down the stretch to win the Preferred Pace in 1:54.4.

That was the fastest mile of the year at H3R.

The other two return winners are Spectrum Seelster (post1), who wired the field in his last start with a 1:56 score and the prior start he was second by a neck in 1:55. Then Goldinthebadlands (post 2) was parked out last week first-over the entire mile and still came home a winner in 1:55.2 for driver Stephane Brosseau.

First race post time Sunday is 12:00 noon. For a free race program, click here.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Steve Wolf, for the Quebec Jockey Club