The Quebec Regional Fair Circuit held its 2018 Fair Finals at the Hippodrome 3R for the first time on Sunday (Sept. 23) with ten finals.

Perhaps the most interesting of the races was the Young Drivers Final for drivers under the age of 30. The fair circuit is where young drivers get the experience to become professionals, as did Sylvain Filion and Louis-Philippe Roy.

The Race 5 pacing final saw Fortune Fella ($3.80) and driver Samuel Fillion get parked out by My Lucky Bluejeans (driven by Tyler Jones) to the opening quarter mile in :28.2, but once on top, Fillion and Fortune Fella led the rest of the one-mile race, and went on to win by four and one-quarter lengths in 1:59.1.

Samuel Fillion of Mont-Joli is just 20 years old and has been driving on the Quebec Fair Circuit for two years. He now has 17 wins in 80 starts.

“My father had racing horses when he was young,” Fillion explained, “and my grandfather was a blacksmith at that time. After several years without horses, my dad bought a gelding, Classic Mondial. I was 14 when I start taking care of this horse. He performed well and that gave us the taste to continue and to buy others.

“Now I also have the opportunity to learn with my father-in-law, Jean-Marc Roy, and my brothers-in-law, Louis-Philippe and Pierre-Luc Roy, and I am very grateful,” Fillion added. “At this moment I'm waiting to get my pari-mutuel license. I hope it will be by next year.

“I love horses,” Fillion said. “I like the feeling you have when your horse performs after all the time you worked on him. Also, my family and my in-laws also have a passion for racing horses, so I find it great to be able to spend time with them and learn more of this sport.

“Once I have my professional licence,” Fillion added. “Then I hope several trainers will trust me to drive their horses. For the moment, I don't have any specific purpose other than to continue having as much pleasure in practicing this sport. Louis-Philippe Roy is my favourite driver. He started in fairs like me and now he's one of the best drivers in Canada. Also, I like his style on the bike.”

With the young amateur drivers on the racetrack, it was also befitting that the race be called by a young person. Track announcer Guy Lafontaine was more than happy to turn over the microphone to 14-year-old Louis Desrocher from Warwick, who not only did a superb job in calling the race, but announced it in both French and English. He is the son of Mathieu Desrocher who owns and drives on the fair circuit.

The Race 10 Handicap Pace Women’s Final was no doubt the most exciting of the 12 races Sunday at the Hippodrome 3R.

Loves A Challenge (Carole Dumont) went to the lead with Gutsy Greg (Nancy Auger) first-over and Washington Hanover (Ann Marie Demers) three-wide and they stayed that way through the opening quarter mile, then the half mile and then things changed in the backstretch.

Washington Hanover began to fade, SOS Mach Xtreme (Roxanne Viau) took up the chase first-over as Mistys Delight (Sonia Lafreniere) came second-over and the rest of the field fanning out four and five-wide on the final turn.

Then in the stretch, driver Sonia Lafreniere split horses with Mistys Delight and came on to win by two and one-half lengths in 2:00.4. They went off at odds of 48-1 and paid $98.60 to win. For Sonia Lafreniere, of Sorel-Tracy, it was her first win in five starts this season.

Wild River Swan ($2.80) never even gave her competition a chance in the seventh race final handicap for Older Pacing Mares. Driven by Maxim Gaudreault, Wild River Swan left from post eight and increased her margin on the field at every post, winning in a romp by 20 and a quarter lengths in 1:57. It was her sixth win in 13 starts this year.

The eighth race 1.5 Mile Final for pacers saw another young driver, Tyler Jones, able to take command away from Brussebeach (Maxim Gaudreault with Clever Thing ($8.10) after the half mile marker and go on to win by one length in 2:59.1, just one second off the track and world record of 2:58.1 set by Strokin in 2016.

The 11th race was the Challenge Final Pace for owners of their horses. Hawaiian Five Roll (Mathieu Desrochers) went right to the top with 1-9 race favourite D J Power and driver Jean Marc Roy sitting right on their back. With no challenge, they raced way until the backstretch the final time when Roy pulled from the pocket with D J Power, shot to the lead and won with ease by one length in 1:58.1. Roy, from Mont-Joli, also trains the horse.

In the 12th race three-year-old pace final, driver Simon Delisle came first-over at the half mile with U C Easy ($9.00) and took command entering the backstretch and then pulled away from the field for a 12-length romp in a lifetime mark of 2:00.3.

The ninth race Open Handicap Pace Final saw driver Carole Dumont forced four-wide after the three-quarters with Appleby Hanover ($17.10). The duo was parked out four-wide the entire final turn, but came on in the stretch to win by three quarters of a length in 1:59.1.

The sixth race two-year-old trot final was won by El Bleu ($4.30), who wired the field with ease by four and one-quarter lengths for driver Pierre Luc Roy in a lifetime best 2:03.4.

Blackjack Soliel $3.00) and driver Eric Beausoliel were easy wire-to-wire winners in the fourth race two-year-old open pace final. Beausoliel, of Bertherville, also owns, bred and trains Blackjack Soliel, who won by eight open lengths in a lifetime mark of 2:00.

The third race Handicap Open Trot Final was won by Federal Strike ($2.60) and owner/driver Sylvain Fontaine of St-Edouard-De-Lothiniere. They led from start to finish and won by two and three-quarter lengths in 2:03.3.

The first final, a Handicap Open Pace in the second race, saw horses four-wide around the final turn and victory went to Bettn On Fire ($8.20) with trainer/driver Marie Claude Auger in 2:00.4 by a nose over Ernie Panic (Francis Picard).

Track Notes: The Quebec-Plus Series will be in full force next Sunday at H3R. First race post time is 12:50 pm. For more information, visit quebecjockeyclub.com.

To view the harness racing results for Sunday at H3R, click the following link: Sunday Results – Hippodrome 3R.

(Quebec Jockey Club)