ST-JOSEPH-DE-LEPAGE, QC – Going into the Saturday afternoon card of racing at the local harness track in this eastern Quebec municipality, north and east of Maine’s northern border, the all-time record for the fastest mile was 1:58.3, set by Articular last year.
The all-time track mark would be broken four times on Saturday afternoon, three times by a local resident, before finally settling at 1:57.1, the mark finally co-held by D J Power and Brussebeach.
Driver Maxim Gaudreault of St-Joseph-de-Lepage lowered the record to 1:57.2 in the second race of the day with Wild River Swan, who swept three-wide while gaining in the 58 last half for trainer Harold Duguay and owner Dr. John Bradbury.
Then Maxim Gaudreault, who drove five winners on the day, came back in the very next race to tie the newly-minted mark with Code Word, still sprightly at age 11 for trainer Charles Gaudreault and the ownership of 9267 7327 Quebec Inc.
Then, in race four, D J Power, guided by Samuel Fillion for owner/trainer Jean Marc Roy, put up fractions of 26.2, 56, and 1:25.2 before getting home in 1:57.1, knocking a tick off the “old mark” before it had a chance to dry in the track’s record books.
And in the seventh race, Maxim Gaudreault recombined with Harold Duguay and Dr. John Bradbury to regain a share of the all-time St-Joseph-de-Lepage record with Brussebeach, leading at every call and stepping the last half in 58.1 to post the 1:57.1 clocking for trainer Duguay, who co-owns this horse with Dr. Bradbury.
by Jerry Connors, for Harnesslink