With a little less than one month away from the start of the 2022 harness racing season at Hippodrome 3R, positive news is abounding.
For the first time in nearly two years, the racetrack will feature spectators at the facility for opening day on Sunday, May 1 and there will also be a new lighting system for the track that is being installed now.
The winter snow has been removed from the track and the first qualifying day for the horses will be on Saturday, April 16 at 11 a.m.
“We are very positive for a great season in 2022,” said Claude Levesque, President of the Quebec Jockey Club (QJC). “We can now welcome back racing fans without doing temperature checks or having to wear masks. Trois-Rivieres has always been a fan friendly track where people can watch from the rail and nearly touch the horses as they race by.
“Over the winter, the QJC received a grant from the Quebec Ministry,” explained Levesque. “It was for $200,000 for new lights at the track. We will have them all installed by the start of the new season and have adjusted our post times mid-season on Friday’s starting July 15 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The new lights with our HD cameras will make for sharp viewing quality for our racing fans at the track and those watching via simulcasting or computer viewing.”
H3R post times will be 12 noon every Sunday starting May 1. Fridays start off on June 3 with post time at 4 p.m. Then on Friday, July 15, first race post time goes to 8 p.m. The last Friday race card is August 26. The 40-day race meet will run through November 13.
For a complete racing calendar, click here.
The stakes races begins in July and will feature both the Breeders Trophy Series for three-year-old trotters and pacers and the Future Stars Series for two-year-olds of both gaits. All of the finals for the series will take place on Sunday, Sept. 11. The Super Sunday card will feature $500,000 in total purses and is the richest day of horse racing in all of Quebec.
H3R is hosting the Quebec/Eastern Ontario Regional Driving Championship on Sunday, June 26 and the Lucien Bombardier Pace for two-year-old fillies will be held on Sunday, Oct. 2.
“Hopefully, we can put COVID behind us and have a great season in 2022,” added Levesque. “I know our horsepeople and the Quebec Jockey Club are doing everything we can to have a strong race meet this year.”
(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)