The month-long Quebec-Bred Series for four and five-year-old trotters and pacers dominates the racing card at Hippodrome 3R this Sunday with eight of the 10 races on the program dedicated to the opening round of the series.
Each division races for a purse of $6,500 and there are separate divisions for trotters and pacers, mares and horses, with two elimination divisions for each group. There will also be elimination divisions on May 25 and June 1 with the $35,000 finals on June 8.
Points will be awarded in each preliminary round (50-25-12-8-5 and 1 point for each horse that finishes sixth or higher) with the eight highest point earners getting to enter the final.
Track record holder, Duc Dorleans, heads the ninth race division for older pacers, vacating the Winners Over class this week, but he will not have it that easy in his division, having to face Woodbine shipper McKinney, who starts from the rail. Duc Dorleans starts alongside in post two.
Other standouts include Shanghai Mimi, a $50,000 winner last year, who will make her seasonal debut in the seventh race series opener for pacing mares; The Real One, a four-year-old gelding by Mach Three that won $55,000 last year, is in the fourth race pace for horses; Lady Valentine, who has already won $37,000 this year, heads the second race mares pace; and in the third race, Canbec Kangourou, a $40,000 winner last year, is the morning line favourite.
With Duc Dorleans out of the Winners Over Pace on Sunday, the role of race favourite now belongs to Pieraz in the full field of eight starters. Last week, the eight-year-old gelded son of Bolero Master was able to park out Duc Dorleans first-over in a real dogfight, and then pull away to a four length romp in 1:55.3 for driver Sylvain Lacaille.
Also in the field are Bestofbest Hanover, who is on a two-race winning streak; Adkins Hanover, moving up in class off two straight wins; and Onyx V A.
The Quebec Jockey Club will start Tuesday live racing at the Hippodrome 3R a week early, beginning next Tuesday, May 20. Post time will be 7 p.m.
To view Sunday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Sunday Entries - Hippodrome 3R.
(QJC)