The driving colony at Hippodrome 3R continues to be a competitive group with top drivers who also ply their trade at Rideau Carleton Raceway. And leading the way the last two seasons has been none other than Pascal Berube.
The Portneuf, Que. resident won the 3R driving title with 63 wins over rival Stephane Brosseau’s 55 wins.
In 2020, Berube held a five-win lead over Brosseau going into the last day of harness racing at 3R. Berube elected to drive that day at Rideau, which gave Brosseau the opportunity to catch him. Brosseau nearly did with four winners that day, one shy of tying Berube.
Even back in 2019, Berube was second-best to Stephane Gendron.
“I am always excited for the arrival of a new season,” explained Berube. “I really like the Trois Rivières track and I am proud to be able to represent it. If I have the chance to be the best again, I will be very proud of it.
“I am lucky enough to be able to drive at two racetracks,” added Berube. "They are still three hours away, but I feel privileged to be able to do it. Especially when things are going well on the track. There is nothing more fun than winning races in the afternoon at 3R and being able to win more in the evening in Ottawa.”
And how is Berube doing at Rideau Carleton? So far, he is in second place in the driver standings there. Guy Gagnon leads the way with 39 wins since January 1 and a quite impressive UDRS of .529 while Berube has 19 wins and UDRS of .320.
Pascal Berube and his wife, Isabelle, made a major decision this past year that the Berube Stable is no longer training horses, just driving them.
“As far as horse training is concerned, we have put an end to this vocation," said Berube. "It's a lot of work, energy and me and my wife Isabelle now prefer to take time for ourselves rather than spending it in the stable.
“For 30 years now, we have been training horses,” he said. “For the years to come, driving them satisfies me and it is for this reason that we have put an end to the practice of training. We loved it but now we turn the page and we take care of ourselves.”
As a catch-driver, Pascal Berube feels he will be fine getting good drives at Hippodrome 3R. Especially for the stakes races for two and three-year-olds.
“For most of my driving, I am lucky to have a trainer who has a good stable of young horses: Alpha Stables and Sylvain Tremblay. I am proud to drive for him and he showed last year how good his horses are. I got a lot of wins with them.
“As for older horses, I drive for different people. It's a part of my job as a driver that I like too. Every trainer is different and having the trust of several people makes me very happy. When you can mix the two recipes together it makes for a nice mix of success.”
What does Berube like best about racing at 3R?
“I really like the Trois Rivières half-mile track,” he said. “I find that most horses are fine too. The setup is excellent and the trackmen keep the racing surface in excellent condition.
“The proof is we had miles in 1:49 and in 1:50 a few years ago,” recalled Berube. “I even won in 1:52 with a three-year-old. Never in the past would I have thought this possible.
“I hope to have good results again this year,” said Berube. “Last year I managed to win a Cup. We don't force anything every year, but we always hope to have luck on our side.”
Talent and luck have been on Berube’s side the past few years and the outlook for his continued success is very bright.
There is always good competition at 3R. In addition to Stephane Brosseau, also coming back this season at 3R will be Samuel Fillion, Steeve Genois, Jonathan Lachance, Francis Picard and some new faces in the driver colony.
Being able to win a third straight driving title at 3R is most certainly within Pascal Berube’s grasp.
The 2022 season gets underway this Sunday, May 1. Berube is off to a good start for opening day at 3R. He has a drive in all eight races on the program. First post is 12 noon on Sunday.
For a free race program, visit hippodrome3r.ca.
To view Sunday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Sunday Entries - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)