Trotters, pacers handle sloppy track at H3R

Trois-Rivieres, QC – For one of the first times all season, Mother Nature unloaded a day of rain for the 10-race card at the Hippodrome 3R Sunday (Sept. 18) as the track was listed good with a three second allowance.

The 7^th race Preferred-Handicap Pace for the mares saw Twin B Betty (Bettors Delight) sweep three-wide in the backstretch for driver Robert Shepherd, clearing to the lead at the three-quarters and then pull away from the field to win by two and one-half length in 1:59.3.

Coz Im Special (Michel Lagace) was second with Kiss Me Bad (Steven Gagnon) third. It was the second straight win and fourth of the season for Twin B Betty, who is trained by Jean-Francois Maguire.

She is co-owned by 9299 0522 Quebec, Inc., Jean-Francois Maguire and Julie Malonfast. She paid $3.90 to win.

TWIN B BETTY REPLAY

The 9th race Preferred-Handicap Trot saw the lone three-year-old in the field, Stella Alpha (Pascal Berube) take the lead away from Bonfire Bash, then cut the mile until the three-quarters when she went off-stride.

That caused some confusion among the rest of the field but clearing the mess three-wide was Kinnder Dangerzone (Northern Escort) and driver Stephane Brosseau. Once on the lead he pulled away in the stretch to win by two lengths in 2:03.3. Gloire Dream (Jocelyn Gendron) was second with Dart Guy third.

It was the fourth victory of the year for Kinnder Dangerzone, who was bred and is owned and trained by Denitza Petrova of Melbourne and paid $5.80 to win.

KINNDER DANGERZONE REPLAY

In the 8^th race Preferred-Handicap Pace D Gs De Vito (Sportswriter) and driver Jonathan Lachance were able to lead from start to finish, holding off first-over challenges from both race favorite Major Hill (Pascal Berube) and then Siddhartha (Steeven Genois) to win by one length in 1:58.2. Siddhartha was second with Major Hill third.

It was the fourth win this year for D Gs De Vito, who is trained by Guylaine Fortin for owner-breeder Daniel Surpremant of Saint-Valentin, paying $10.10 to win.

D GS DE VITO REPLAY

Four-time Quebec-Bred Champion, Atomic Million AM, now age 11, posted his first win of the year in the 2^nd race pace in 2:01. The lifetime winner of $382,000 now has 48 career wins. He was driven by Marc Belanger for breeder, owner, trainer Alain Martin of Gatineau and paid $8.10 to win.

Track Notes: Both Pascal Berube and Robert Shepherd scored driving doubles Sunday. Live racing will resume at H3R next Sunday, Sept. 23 at 12:00 noon. For more information, click here.

by Steve Wolf, for the Quebec Jockey Club