The headliner this weekend at Hippodrome 3R is the return of the $200,000 Prix d’Été for four-year-old pacers on Sunday, but while the Grand Circuit event has drawn top horses and drivers, there will be plenty of other stakes action this weekend at the half-mile oval in Trois-Rivieres, Que.

Friday’s card begins at 4 p.m. and will feature the third round of the Breeders Trophy Series for Quebec-bred three-year-old trotting colts and fillies. After Friday’s round, the top eight point earners will return next month on Super Sunday, Sept. 8 for their respective $65,000 finals.

The sixth race, first $10,000 division for the trotting colts features a classic match-up between rivals Captain PV (sired by Wheeling N Dealin), who is on a five-race winning streak going again against Wild Dream Men (sired by Kadabra).

Captain PV (pictured above) has been sensational for driver Marie-Claude Auger with five wins in eight starts this year. The colt wired the field in the series last time out with a 2-1/2-length score in a lifetime best 1:59.2. He is trained and co-owned by Serge Nadeau with Ecuries Y Corriveau Inc. He will start from post five.

Wild Dream Men goes from post three for driver/trainer Guy Gagnon. He won his last start at Rideau Carleton Raceway in 1:59.4 for owners Catheline Pelletier and Chantal Gravel. He has faced Captain PV twice in the Quebec stakes series, finishing second both times.

Other top competitors in the race include Paradise Moni (post seven) with driver Denis St. Pierre up for trainer Jean-Francois Maguire and Last Try (post nine) for trainer/driver Jerome Lombart.

The filly trotters go in race nine where MVPs Daughter goes from post two for driver/trainer Lombart. The homebred My MVP filly is on a two-race win streak that includes a lifetime-best showing in the series of 2:00.2.

Sensi Amnesia (sired by Muscle Mass), bred and co-owned, trained and driven by Auger, was a first leg winner and looks to rebound from post four after a fifth-place finish in her last start. 

Coming off victories are HP Agathe (post one), a 2:02 career-best winner last time out at Rideau or driver Pascal Berube and trainer Daniel Martin, and Cleomax Duharas (post seven), who won in a romp at Rideau in a new mark o 1:59.4, for driver Loic Gueriel and trainer Marc-Andre Simoneau.

Sunday’s undercard has three divisions of the Breeders Trophy Series for three-year-old colt and filly pacers.

The colts battle in two $7,500 divisions with the tougher one appearing to be the fifth race with two sons of Sportswriter, Boomboom Tonight (post three) taking on Kinnder Reptile (post five).

Boomboom Tonight has won three of his last four starts for driver Berube and looks to sweep the preliminary rounds. Trainer Elisabeth Pothier's homebred gelding sporst a 1:55 lifetime mark. 

He will face for the first time Kinnder Reptile, who is on a four-race winning streak and has won six of his eight starts this year. The gelding will be driven by Auger for trainer, breeder and co-owner Denitza Petrova.

Other top contenders include Kinnder Kenogami (post one), Olaf Du Lac (post four) and Classic Jim (post six).

The second race, first division features G A Speed Expert (sired by Sportswriter) in post seven who is coming off a 1:56.4 maiden-breaking win in his last start. The David Pilon trainee will be driven by Robert Shepherd and takes on other top contenders HP Coaticook (post two) and Dan Speed (post four).

The fillies will battle in the seventh race, $10,000 division where local star Wicked Discovery (sired by McWicked) puts her three-race winning streak on the line from post three for driver Berube and trainer Louis-Philippe Turcotte. Her fastest win was a 1:58.1 mile in the last leg of the series.

Another top contender is One More Bet (All Bets Off) from post five for driver Daniel Dube. This Jean Tourgny-trained filly won a division of the series last month in 1:57 and since then sizzled in a 1:51.3 career-best showing in an Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots division at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The morning line odds have been completed for the $200,000 Prix d’Été on Sunday. The complete field of eight is listed below in post position order. The main event is scheduled as the 10th race on the noon program.

$200,000 Prix d’Été
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer - Morning Line Odds
1. El Rey - Louis-Philippe Roy - Andrew Harris - 4-1
2. Act Fast - Daniel Dube - Ron Burke - 3-1
3. Redwood Hanover - Jonathan Drury - Anthony Beaton - 6-1
4. Huntinthelastdolar - Doug McNair - Per Engblom - 5-2
5. No Control - Jody Jamieson - Tan Micallef - 5-1
6. Tip Top Cat - Stephane Brosseau - Ron Burke - 3-1
7. Its My Show - James MacDonald - Linda Toscano - 7-2
8. Light The Torch - Pascal Berube - Marc-Andre Simoneau - 10-1
AE1. Command - Daniel Dube - Jacques Dupont
AE2. Stockade Seelster - Louis-Philippe Roy - Ian Moore

To view Hippodrome 3R's harness racing entries, click the following link: Entries - Hippodrome 3R.

(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)