The 2025 Quebec harness racing season kicks off this Saturday, May 3 at Hippodrome 3R with a nine-race matinee program.

Hippodrome 3R will host 40 race dates in 2025 starting with racing on Sundays through May. Fridays will be added to the weekly racing schedule in June for the summer months until mid-September then continuing with Sundays through Nov. 9.

Season highlights for the Trois-Rivières, Que. half-mile oval will include the return of its signature Grand Circuit stakes event, the $200,000 Prix d’Été, with expanded eligibility for four-year-olds and up on Aug. 17. The Quebec-Bred Series begins on July 6 with the Coupe de l’Avenir and the Trophée des Éleveurs championships on Sept. 14 offering more than $480,000 in purses. The Lucien Bombardier Pace for two-year-old fillies is scheduled for Oct. 5.

The opening day program this Saturday features a $5,500 Preferred Handicap Pace with outside assignee Light The Torch favoured at 5-2 on the morning line for Hippodrome 3R's 2024 leading driver and trainer, Pascal Berube and Marc-Andre Simoneau. A three-time runner-up in the Preferred ranks at Rideau Carleton Raceway this year, Light The Torch will be looking for his first seasonal score back at 3R where he earned four of his 10 wins last season.

Berube and Simoneau will team up in a total of six races on the program, including with 2024 Bombardier division winner Simply The Best, who will make her sophomore debut in the second race.

First race post time on Saturday is 2 p.m. 

To view Saturday's harness racing entries, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Hippodrome 3R // Program Pages (courtesy TrackIT).

(Standardbred Canada)