This Saturday, Oct. 3, Hippodrome 3R will host a special Saturday afternoon card featuring the 2024 Quebec Regional Fair Finals. There are 11 races on the program that gets underway at 1 p.m.
All eyes will be on the sixth race, $4,000 Open Handicap Pace Final, where three return winners headline the field.
Frozen Hanover is the morning line favourite from the outside post seven. The five-year-old Somebeachsomewhere stallion is trained by Maxime Velaye for owner Guy Corbeil of Mirabel, Que. and will be driven by Marie-Solel Dubois. In his last start at Rideau Carleton Raceway, Frozen Hanover got a perfect second-over trip and turned it into a 1:54.4 triumph, his third win this season. Earlier on the year, he won at 3R in 1:56.
PLD Needy also posted his third win of the season last week at 3R, getting a perfect two-hole trip for owner, trainer and driver Pier Luc Lamy and winning in 1:57. The seven-year-old son of Warrawee Needy will start from post six.
The third return winner in the field is N C Rockabye with driver Marc Lemay driving the seven-year-old Two Guys mare, who comes off a 2:00 win at 3R for trainer Germain Chabot.
Two of the highlighted finals take place in races 10 and 11 with the finals of the amateur series for men and women.
The ladies are first up in the 10th race pace where driver, trainer and co-owner Sophie Messier’s Indigo Seelster is the lone return winner in the field and will start from post three. The nine-year-old Camluck gelding was at his best last week at 3R, taking a lifetime mark of 1:58.2 and providing Merrier with her first training win.
They take on top contenders Delco Dynamo (post one) with driver Roxanne Viau, CL Big Beach (post four) for driver Nancy Auger and Old Buck (post five) for driver Andree Pelletier.
The men battle it out in the 11th race amateur driver final where Ninoscredit, a 1:57.2 winner at 3R two starts ago, goes from post four for driver Nicolas Dechamplain and takes on return winners Flashjack Soleil (post five) with driver-trainer Eric Milot and Manhattan Joe (post six) for driver Mathys Lapointe.
Coming up on Sunday, Oct. 6 at 3R is the second annual Brian Paquet Memorial Invitational Pace for older horses and mares. There are two divisions, each for a purse of $51,000.
The horse division is a very well-matched field with two prior Quebec-bred champions, Cadillac Bayama and The Light Speed, returning and taking on the likes of top pacers Jack Panic, Fortify, Light The Torch and Uncontrollable.
The mares division is headlined by former Quebec champion Kiss Me Bad taking on the likes of YS Sensationalcity, Annas Wish and Jimbelina.
Also, on Sunday’s card is the Lucien Bombardier Memorial Pace for two-year-old fillies, split in two $15,100 divisions. Top fillies entered include the red-hot Simply The Best, Quebec champion Mirabel Enfete, Mystic Moment and Silver Majesty.
Three-time O’Brien Award-winning driver Louis-Philippe Roy will be at 3R on Sunday and he has drives in 10 of the 12 races. Post time Sunday is 12 noon.
To view Saturday's harness racing entries, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)