Trainer Jean-Francois Maguire's five-year-old gelding Royalty Beer turned in the fastest trotting mile ever in the history of Hippodrome 3R on Friday, Sept. 13, winning the afternoon's feature race with driver Pascal Berube.

Royalty Beer's 1:54 career-best performance shattered the all-age trotting track record by two full seconds. Pablo Angus (2008) and Michelangelo (2014) co-held the former record.

The time also matched the Canadian record for an aged trotter on a half-mile track that was established in 2017 at Flamboro Downs by Charlie Is A Joker.

In Friday's seventh race, $6,500 trot for Quebec-breds four years old and up, Royalty Beer and Berube left from the outside post six and took command of the field by the opening quarter-mile in :29.1 with La Bromontoise (Jerome Lombart) sitting second.

By the half-mile in :57.3, Royalty Beer was gaining separation from the rest of the field and pulled away to a six-length lead by the three-quarters mark in 1:25.2.

Berube then urged his trotter on and Royalty Beer was up to the task, winning in a romp by 12-3/4 lengths with a last quarter in :28.3. Only For Justice (Francis Picard) finished second with Frido PV (Denis St. Pierre) third.

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Royalty Beer with trainer/owner Jean-Francois Maguire and driver Pascal Berube.

Royalty Beer earned his second win in a row at 3R and picked up his fourth victory of the year from 21 starts. Bred by Ecuries Maguire of Sainte-Marie, Que., the Royalty For Life-Beer Maggs gelding is a career winner of 18 races and has banked nearly $300,000 lifetime.

Royalty Beer was the overwhelming race favourite and paid $2.10 across the board.

In other action, A R Hercule and owner/trainer/driver Jean-Paul Rousse produced the second highest win payoff of the season in the ninth race trot, winning by a nose in 2:01.2 at odds of 43-1, paying $88.40 to win.

Robert Shepherd had the hot hands at 3R on Friday with a driving triple and Berube had a driving double.

Live harness racing resumes at 3R this Sunday, Sept. 15 with a 10-race program starting at 12 noon. Sunday is National Caretaker Appreciation Day, sponsored by Standardbred Canada and the Quebec Jockey Club. 

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

(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)