The Quebec Jockey Club played host Sunday afternoon at the Hippodrome 3R to the $480,000 Championship harness racing finals for the Breeders Cup Series and Future Stars Series.

It was the richest day of horse racing in all of Quebec with purses totaling over $500,000 for the afternoon. Each series featured four divisions for trotters and pacers.

Here is a breakdown of each of the Championship Finals:

$65,000 Three-Year-Old Filly Pace Final

Hall of Famer Yves Filion sent Akita Bayama right to the lead and barely held off a very determinded Cooking The Speed (Louis-Philippe Roy) to win by a neck in a lifetime-best 1:57.1.

Cooking The Speed was trying for her second championship victory and despite being parked out first-over from the half mile, was a valiant second. Audi Bayama (Sylvain Filion), part of the entry for trainer Yves Filion, was third.

It was the second win in just five starts this year for Akita Bayama. The Sportswriter daughter was bred and is owned by Filion’s Bayama Farms of Saint-Andre-D’Argenteuil. She is co-owned with Jacques Damours of Laval and paid $2.90 to win.

$65,000 Three-Year-Old Colt Trot Final

It was a two-horse race from the start with track record hold Cesar Duharas and driver Pascal Berube shooting to the early lead with race-favourite Only For Justice (Stephane Brosseau) grabbing the early two-hole spot by the opening quarter mile in :28.3.

Brosseau moved Only For Justice to the outside by the half mile in :59, but Berube and Cesar Duharas stuffed them back into the pocket. Then by three-quarters in 1:27.2, Brosseau came back again and this time on the final turn had collared Cesar Duharas, who then went offstride, allowing Only For Justice to win with ease in a romp by 12-and-three-quarter lengths in 1:57.3. Money Hill (Sylvain Filion) was second with Triomphe Duharas (Denis Gueriel) third.

Only For Justice is now a repeat Quebec Champion, having won the final at age two and now at age three. Sired by Justice Hall, it was Only For Justice’s fourth win this year for trainer Dany Fontaine and the Gaetan Bono Stable of Montreal who bred and owns the gelding. He paid $3.10 to win.

$65,000 Three-Year-Old Filly Trot Final

Kinderunbelievable and driver Pierre Luc Roy put in an unbelievable performance to beat pacesetter Choo Choo Bleu (Sylvain Filion).

Choo Choo Blue left first from the starting gate with My Lady Hall (Louis Philippe Roy) grabbing the two-hole spot past the opening quarter mile. Then coming to the half mile was when Pierre Luc Roy took Kinderubelievable first-over, giving race favorite Cor Leo (Stephane Gendron) second-over live cover.

Choo Choo Blue would not let Kinderunbelievable pass them by down the backstretch and around the final turn. Then in the stretch, with horses fanning out all around them, Kinderunbelievable dug in with true grit and went on to win by three-quarters of a length in 2:01.3. Choo Choo Blue was second with Cor Leo third.

It was the third win this year for Kinderunbelievable, who is sired by Archangel. It was her third straight win for breeder, owner, trainer Dentiza Petrova of Melbourne. She paid $5.40 to win.

$65,000 Three-Year-Old Colt Pace Final

Favourite Ashleysbest saw his three-race winning streak come to an end as D Gs De Vito and Jonathan Lachance used a big brush in the backstretch to pass by the favourite in progress to scoring a one-and-one-half length victory.

Ashleysbest (Pascal Berube) shot to the lead from post 7 and cut the mile with fractions of :26.2 and :55.1 before Lachance and D Gs De Vito came flying first over in the backstretch to take command by the three-quarters in 1:23.3.

HP Napoleon (Stephane Brosseau) tried to follow the move of D Gs De Vito to no avail as the winner went on to score in 1:54.1. HP Napoleon was second with Angers Bayama (Sylvain Filion) third.

It was a lifetime mark for D Gs De Vito as the gelded son of Sportswriter notched his fourth win this year. Trained by Antonio Valente, D Gs De Vito was bred and is owned by Daniel Suprenant of Saint-Valentin and paid $19.50 to win.

His clocking was the fastest mile on the 14-race card.

$55,000 Two-Year-Old Colt Pace Final

Whitecookie (Marie Claude Auger) saw his undefeated six-race winning streak come to an end at the hands of Eclat De Rire and driver Stephane Gendron.

Going right to the lead as usual was Whitecookie with Eclat De Rire sitting right on their backs for nearly the entire mile. It was not until the three-quarters that Gendron pulled the pocket with Eclat De Rire as the rest of the field was fanning three and four-wide for the drive to the finish.

In the stretch, Eclat De Rire was able to collar Whitecookie and pass them by to win by one length in a lifetime mark of 1:58.4. Whitecookie was second with PLD Needy (Pascal Beurbe) third.

It was the second straight win and third victory in five starts for the daughter of Leader Bayama. He is trained by Maxime Velaya for owner-breeder Guy Corbeil of Mirable and paid $5.40 to win.

$55,000 Two-Year-Old Filly Pace Final

Acaena De Chakrika picked the perfect time to score a lifetime mark as the daughter of Sunshine Beach led from start to finish for driver Stephane Brosseau in 2:00.2. The pocket-sitting Lotus Sena (Pascal Berube) was second with Godiva Lovely Lady (Simon Delisle) third.

Acaena De Charkrika won by one and one-quarter lengths.

Trained by Daniel Martin for breeder-owner Diane Lepine of Quebec City, it was the second win this year for Acaena De Chakrika, who paid $5.00 to win.

$55,000 Two-Year-Old Colt Trot Final

Babidibou and driver Stephane Gendron made it three-straight wins as the colt by Royalty For Life wired the field with ease in a lifetime mark of 2:02.1.

Kenogami Coco (Stephane Brosseau) tried coming first-over but could not gain ground on the winner and was second by one and three-quarter lengths. HP Muscle Dancer (Sylvain Filion) was third.

Trained by Maxime Velaye for co-owners Isidoro Russo of Montreal and Guy Corbiel of Mirable, Babidibou paid $3.50 to win.

$55,000 Two-Year-Old Filly Trot Final

Emotions Durables and driver Tyler Jones went right to the front with HP Starlette (Stephane Brosseau) in second after the start, but coming off the first turn, HP Starlette went off-stride and scattered the field, allowing Emotions Durables to open up on the field.

Despite a strong come-back from Kinnder High Class (Pierre Luc Roy), Emotions Durables held the field at bay, winning by one and one-half lengths in a lifetime best 2:03.1. Muscle Fern Jacky (Francis Picard) was third.

It was the fourth win in just six starts for the daughter of Wheeling N Dealin, who is owned and trained by Cassandra Lecourt of Ste-Victoire De Sorel. She paid $4.50 to win.

It was also the first championship victory for Tyler Jones.

The Preferred-Handicap Trot saw USA invader Volare ($4.40) and driver Louis Philippe Roy lead from start to finish in 1:57.3 for trainer Michel Allard and owner Rene Allard.

Track Notes: Trainer Maxime Velaye had his best day ever as a trainer at H3R, sending out five winners from his stable, two of them championship winners.

Driver Stephane Gendron had six winners, five of which came for Velaye—two in championships. Owner-breeder Guy Corbeil had three winners, two in the championships. Live racing resumes next Sunday, Sept. 15 with first race post time at 1:00 p.m.

(Quebec Jockey Club)

To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Hippodrome 3R.