Louis-Philippe Roy, the second leading dash-winning driver (319 wins) and third leading money-winning driver ($5 million) in all of Canada this year, returns from the WEG circuit in Toronto to his home track at Hippodrome 3R on Sunday (Nov. 5) to compete in seven of the 10 races on the program
“I had an opportunity to come back home this Sunday and am taking it,” Roy said. “It’s my world at 3R. I have many supporters. These are the people who gave me my first chances to race professionally and, of course, I always look forward to coming back and competing.”
Roy has been on a whirlwind tour as of late.
“In the last few weeks, I’ve had the chance to race at two tracks I have never been at before; last Friday at Hoosier Park, Indiana in the Breeders Crown and during September at the Red Mile in Lexington, Kentucky.
“The weather was not so great at Hoosier Park, but it was a very nice place to compete,” Roy said. “And my experience at the Red Mile was super. What a great track it is. I was lucky enough to drive a couple of Rene Allard’s horses and during the week to jog a few. It’s like racing on a carpet. You can’t even hear the sounds of the horse’s hooves.
“This all gave me a great taste of the Grand Circuit,” Roy continued. “I hope I can race more in these events next year. I would be very receptive to do it if the opportunity comes about.”
LPR’s talents will be put to the test in the feature race, the Invitational Pace in the eighth race where he will be driving the Allard Stables' Crombie A from post three.
Only a two-time winner this season in 25 starts, the Australian-bred 11-year-old stallion by Life Sign draws a good inside post for the first time in six starts for trainer Michel Allard.
His main competition will come from the 5/2 morning line favourite Bali, in post seven for trainer/driver Marie Claude Auger and the Auger Family of Trois-Rivieres.
In his last start, Bali -- who was driven then by Sylvain Lacaille -- wired the field in a romp at 3R, winning by six open lengths in 1:53.3 for his tenth triumph of the season. He has now won three of his last four starts.
The other return winner in the field is Sports Authority from the rail for driver Pierre-Luc Roy. He wired the field in the mud last week at 3R in 2:00.3 on a sloppy track that allowed three seconds. He has prior miles in 1:54.2 at 3R and earlier this season won in 1:52.4 for trainer Maxime Velaye.
Other contenders in the field include National Debt (post eight), Atomic Million AM (post six) and the lone mare in the field, Rainbow Palace (post two).
With rain in the forecast for Sunday’s program, Roy was reminded about how he won a track record eight races the last time he drove on a sloppy track at 3R. Can he do that well again?
“That was just a super day,” LPR said. “I would love nothing more than to have another day like that this Sunday.”
First race post time Sunday is 12:30 pm. To view the entries for Sunday's card, click the following link: Sunday Entries - Hippodrome 3R.
(with files from the Quebec Jockey Club)