ST-AIME-DES-LACS, QC – Appleby Hanover, a five-year-old son of Well Said, emerged victorious in the $10,000 5 Milles (5 Miles en anglais) Casino-Charlevoix Pace at St-Aime-des-Lacs, Quebec, on Sunday afternoon, placed from second to first after Montana Ben, who beat him to the wire by a head after covering the 8,800-yard marathon distance, was disqualified for causing interference in the ten-circuit race.
The time of the 5-mile race was 12:16, well off the track record.
Appleby Hanover, who rallied late after having the lead early in the race, did not race at two, but here recorded the tenth victory of his career, and his fourth this year, during which he has set his lifetime mark of 1:55.1h at Trois Rivieres.
Dany Mainguy handled the sulky assignment for trainer-owner Michel Allard.
The all-time track record for a mile was rewritten on the pace and tied in the trot on the Sunday card of the two-day set.
Fastest horse in St-Aimé-des-Lacs history is now Brussebeach, a Shadow Play gelding who had set a since-eclipsed track record at St-Joseph-de-Lepage earlier in the summer, but who now is the outright swiftest St-Aimé-des-Lacs sidewheeler after a 1:56.1 mile while going for all of $900. (A $3500 Invitational pace had a slowish pace and went in only 1:58.3.)
Brussebeach was guided by Francis Picard, the only horseman to have a double on the day, for trainer Harold Duguay, co-owner with Dr. John Bradbury. The former local standard was 1:57, set by Bali two years ago.
Holiday Party equaled the all-time track record on the trot at the track, which is some 80 miles northeast of Quebec City, with a 2:01.4 victory despite being parked the mile in the $3,500 Invitational, that time matching the 2013 record achieved by the cleverly-named Revonah Hanover.
Holiday Party, third on Thursday in his $30,000 Quebec-bred Championship at Hippodrome 3R after setting a fast pace, was handled by Pascal Berube for trainer Isabelle Binet and Groupe Holiday Party.
In all, there were five sub-2:00 miles on Sunday, and eight for the two-day meet – not a very common feat on the Quebec Circuit Regionale.