Driver Louis-Philippe Roy is scheduled to drive the seasonally undefeated three-year-old pacing colt, Nijinsky, in the $650,000 USD final of the Meadowlands Pace Saturday, July 13 at The Meadowlands.

And where will Roy be going after his drive in the major Grand Circuit race? Right back to his racing roots at Hippodrome 3R in Trois-Rivieres, Que., where on Sunday, July 14 he will drive his two pacers in the opening round of the Breeders Trophy Series.

This is the opening round of the series for Quebec-bred three-year-old pacing colts and fillies. There are three preliminary rounds and then, on Sunday, Sept. 8, the $65,000 finals for the top eight point earners.

A three-time O’Brien Award-winning driver, Roy is now travelling on the Grand Circuit where he is achieving great success, but when he can, he always likes to come back home to 3R.

“I have an early morning flight tomorrow,” said Roy. “A 6:30 a.m. flight. Being already on the road, I thought I could make a stop in Quebec to see my parents and drive our two homebreds at the same time.

“I wanted to make sure to have good time with my parents,” Roy explained about not driving in any other races on Sunday. "I’m often very busy when I come back to 3R and I wanted to make it different this time. I’m sorry for the trainers and owners that wished I could drive their horses but I’m sure they understand.”

First up for Roy will be his filly Ronda Du Lac (pictured above) in the sixth race and second $7,500 division of the Breeders Trophy Series. Roy co-owns the Shadow Play filly, who he bred, with Maude Larouche, Michel Letarte and Jean Allaire. Last year, the filly won the Lucien Bombardier Pace and tallied three wins on the season.

She is the lone return winner in the field and starts from post six. In her last start, Roy’s older brother, Pierre-Luc Roy, drove Ronda Du Lac to a 1:59.3 victory, her first of the season.

Her main rivals in the race include two Ontario invaders in One More Bet (post one) for driver Jocelyn Gendron and YS Flowernumberten (post three) with driver Pascal Berube.

The fourth race is the first Breeders Trophy Series leg for the fillies and features D Gs Lorijeanne (post one) for driver Jonathan Lachance taking on Shes Rock (post six) with driver Robert Shepherd and Amour (post four) for driver Stephane Brosseau.

Then in the eighth race, the first division of the Breeders Trophy Series for the colts, Olaf Du Lac goes from post four for Roy. Another Roy homebred, the three-year-old Sportswriter gelding is also owned by Louis' brother Pierre-Luc Roy, Maude Larouche and Jean Allaire.

Olaf Du Lac has two wins this year, the fastest a 1:52.3 lifetime mark at Woodbine Mohawk Park where Roy drove him to a nose victory.

His competition in the race is the race favourite Gladiator S BG from post seven for driver Pascal Berube. He is shipping in from Grand River Raceway where he has won four times with a record mile of 1:53.2. Also in the field are two return winners at 3R, Ambitious Mind (post one), a 1:58.3 winner and Delgero (post six), a 1:57.3 winner.

The second $7,500 division for the colts is the ninth race where Boomboom Tonight (post four) takes on Kinnder Reptile (post six).

In his last start, Boomboom Tonight took a lifetime mark of 1:55 for driver Pascal Berube. Last year’s two-year-old Quebec champion, Boomboom Tonight scored five wins in seven starts last season.

Unraced at age two, Kinnder Reptile has won three of his last four starts, the fastest in 1:57.1. Marie-Claude Auger drives on Sunday.

First race post time on Sunday is 12 noon. For a free race program, visit hippodrome3r.ca. For Sunday's entries, click the following link: Sunday Entries - Hippodrome 3R.

(Quebec Jockey Club)