This Sunday, Oct. 6, the Quebec Jockey Club (QJC) and Hippodrome 3R (3R) will pay homage to two great men who helped develop harness racing both in Quebec and Canada during their careers. They are Brian Paquet and Lucien Bombardier.
Both men will each have two stakes races named in their memory on Sunday.
Paquet, an industry leader in Quebec and Canada, was a former director of the QJC, a prominent owner and breeder and he also spent time serving as an industry leader with terms on the Board of the Canadian Standardbred Horse Society for decades including terms as Vice President. He then also served on the Board of Standardbred Canada, with terms as the Vice President while also sitting on the executive committee for several years.
He was also on the Board of the Quebec Jockey Club as well as the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame's Election Committee. Paquet passed away Aug. 20, 2023.
His two races are the 10th and 11th dash on Sunday. The 10th race $51,000 division for older horses features a tough group headlined by last year’s inaugural Paquet Memorial winner, Cadillac Bayama, who won in 1:52. Other top contenders include Jack Panic (post seven), Fortify (post five), The Light Speed (post two) and Light The Torch (post one).
Then in the 11th race the pacing mares do battle in the $51,000 Paquet Memorial. YS Sensationalcity, who was second in the inaugural Paquet last year, goes as the race favourite from post six. Also entered are top mares Jimbelina (post three), Annas Wish (post five) and One More Bet (post one).
Lucien Bombardier marked the history of trotting and pacing in Quebec in his own way, and especially in his last role as manager of the famous Ferme Angus. Even though his career took place entirely in the last century, the influence of his high-quality breeding is still felt some 30 years after his death.
Over the years, Bombardier held just about every important function in the industry. And as such, he can really be considered a builder: by turns he was a driver, trainer, then executive for Blue Bonnets Raceway. He left his mark having worked there for 25 years in addition to serving on multiple industry boards and committees. Bombardier has obviously been a member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame since 1986.
The race was developed and is co-sponsored by Standardbred Canada and the Quebec Jockey Club. There are two $15,100 divisions of the Lucien Bombardier Pace for two-year-old fillies on Sunday.
The first division in the fourth race is headlined by Silver Majesty (post one) for driver Denis St. Pierre. She has been first or second in her last six starts, all at 3R. Other contenders include Justine Ray (post two) and Mystic Moment (post three).
Local favourite Simply The Best (post four) aims for her third straight win in the second division, carded as the sixth race. The field also included Ontario newcomer Jenny Longlegs (post three) and recent Quebec Championship Final winner Mirabel Enfete (post one).
Before Sunday's stakes, 3R hosts a special 11-race card on Saturday, Oct. 5 featuring the 2024 finals of the Quebec Regional Fair Circuit.
Post time Saturday is 1:00 p.m. and post time Sunday is 12:00 p.m. For Sunday's entries, click the following link: Sunday Entries - Hippodrome 3R.
(Quebec Jockey Club)