Thunder Bg’s 6-1/2-length victory in the first $7,500 Coupe de l’Avenir preliminary division for two-year-old pacing males topped five wins for driver Pascal Berube on Sunday, July 26 at Hippodrome 3R.

Up against three rivals, Thunder Bg went all the way. He left for the front in a :29.1 first panel, stretched his advantage through :59.3 and 1:29 middle fractions and finished 6-1/2 lengths clear in 1:57.4. Colombo Ray (Denis St. Pierre) finished second with Js Sweet Dreams (Francis Picard) a long way back in third. Thunder Bg’s maiden win came in the Control The Moment-Buttefly Bg gelding’s second career start. David Pilon trains him for owner-breeder Gason Bibeau of Sorel-Tracy, Que. The win price was $6.20.

An accident occurred on the final turn as Kenogami Funtime, driven by Marie-Claude Auger, broke stride, stumbled and fell. Auger was up quickly and fulfilled the remainder of her drives. Kenogami Funtime was shown on the broadcast getting up and walking off the track. Updates on those involved will be posted here if made available.

Berube opened the card with a 1:56.1 win with Wicked Buddy Buck ($8.90) in the first and scored other wins with Hollywood Ending ($4.10) in the sixth, Shemaksmefelunreal ($9.80) in the eighth and Light The Torch ($2.10) in the 11th-race finale. The defending Hippodrome 3R driving champion leads the 2026 standings with 40 victories. He is 42-for-182 overall on the season.

Auger rebounded quickly from the third-race accident, winning two races later in the second Coupe de l’Avenir split with The Dancers King. She started him third in a :29.3 first panel, then sent the gelding uncovered nearing a 1:00.3 half to march on Best Moment (Francis Picard) to three-quarters in 1:28.3. The Dancers King chipped away at the favoured pacesetter and forged clear by a length to complete a 1:57.4 victory. Pinocchio Du Lac (Pierre-Luc Roy) was third.

The Dancers King debuted on July 5 in the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots and tallied his first career victory on Sunday. The son of Century Farroh-Century Iris is trained by Guy Gagnon and owned by Ecuries Guy Gagnon Inc., Stephanie Gagnon and Louise Ricard of Gatineau, Que. He paid $4.10 to win.

Smithnwesn Phoenix capitalized on a pocket trip and the leader’s late break for a career-debut victory in the lone $10,000 Coupe de l’Avenir contest for rookie pacing fillies. Bella Ray (Samuel Fillion) swept past Smithnwesn Phoenix going to a :30 quarter, and the latter followed from the pocket through 1:00.3 and 1:29.3 middle fractions. As the parked-out Denises Aura (William Roy) dropped back on the final turn, Pierre-Luc Roy tipped Smithnwesn Phoenix, and the filly went to work on Bella Ray, who galloped a few strides at the top of the lane. Smithnwesn Phoenix stayed smooth and glided past her foe by a half-length to win in 1:59.3. Denises Aura finished third.

Dominic Gladu trains the winning daughter of Betting Line-Giggle Hanover for owners Les Ecuries Phoenix of Saint Liguori, Que., Francis Dupuis of Laval, Que. and Serge Leonard of Saint-Charles-Borromee, Que. Smithnwesn Phoenix returned $4.50 to her backers.

Winchester Phoenix, a half-brother to Smithnwesn Phoenix, joined the Preferred Handicap Pace ranks in his first Quebec start of the year and made an immediate impact for trainer Gladu. The four-year-old son of Bettors Delight-Giggle Hanover was overland the whole way, racing on the back of Enavant (Antoine Desrochers) through a :27.2 opener and :55.3 half before Pierre-Luc Roy swung him three-wide down the backside. He surged along the outside through three-quarters in 1:25.2 and found no resistance from the leaders as he rolled clear on the final turn and went on to a 3-1/2-length victory in 1:55.3. Doc Houston (Jessica Turenne) fired four-wide on the last turn and kicked home for second, followed by Flash Cube (Auger).

Winchester Phoenix notched win number three in 22 starts this year for owners Dupuis, Les Ecuries Phoenix, Leonard and Ronald Kelly of Montreal Que. The stallion is now six-for-57 lifetime and has earned $128,328. He paid $12.20 to win.

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

(Standardbred Canada)