When Hippodrome 3R kicks off its 2018 live harness racing meet on Sunday, April 22, racing fans both on track and via simulcasting will be in for some great changes.
General Manager Murielle Thomassin has reveled that there is already ongoing work to set up new HD (high-definition) television cameras, which will improve the quality of the on-air races this season world-wide and at the OTB (Off-Track-Betting) sites in Quebec. The fibre optic cabling is nearly installed with hopes that all will be in place by next month.
For fans dining at the track, 3R has retained the services of Mechoui North-South to handle all the food and beverage services for the race meet and any special events at the track.
Also, on-track, the popular 50/50 promotion will return and in addition a new kiosk with the theme “How To Bet” will be available for newcomers to help them become familiar with the betting machines and how to wager on the races.
First race post time has also changed for the new season with Sundays moving to 12:50 p.m. while Tuesday evenings will start at 6:30 p.m. There will also be one special Thursday night race card on August 9 during the Grand Prix Auto Races week.
The Hippodrome 3R website also been updated with more information both in English and French.
The “Summer Prize” or Prix D’Ete, 3R’s richest stakes race of the year at $200,000, and has a record 37 four-year-old pacers nominated to the first installment. The race takes place on Sunday, August 19.
Throughout the season 3R will host the Quebec Sire Stakes for trotters and pacers with the Quebec-Bred Series for four and five-year-olds, the Breeders Cup for three-year-olds and the Future Stars Series for two-year-olds. The Lucien Bombardier Stake for two-year-old pacing fillies will take place on Sunday, September 9.
(with files from the Quebec Jockey Club)