Older trotters squared off in three $6,000 divisions of the Series Quebecoises second leg at Hippodrome 3R on Thursday, June 11, with trainer Kevin Maguire’s crew scoring repeat victories.
Maguire trainees Royalty Beer and Paradise Moni, winners in the first leg, were both clear by 4-1/2 lengths at the line in their respective splits but used opposite paths to victory.
Two-time Quebec champion Royalty Beer went gate-to-wire in the second division for males. Away from the inside post, he fired out for Pascal Berube and put the keen Frido Pv (Sylvain Lacaille) in the pocket on the first turn. Im Just A Gigolo (Jerome Lombert) was first-over from fifth before the quarter in :29 and pushed the leader to the half in :58.1 before waving the white flag. Royalty Beer started to separate from Frido Pv nearing three-quarters in 1:27, and the seven-year-old coasted home to the 1:57.2 victory. Kenogami Coco (Marie-Claude Auger) made it back-to-back place finishes in the series. Timonier (Jocelyn Gendron) finished third.
Royalty Beer has been a winning machine throughout his career with 42 victories from 125 starts and $495,237 in earnings. The son of Royalty For Life-Beer Maggs is eight-for-18 this year for owners Ecuries Maguire Inc. of Sante-Marie, Que. and Jean-Francois Maguire of Carlisle, Ont. He paid $2.10 to win.
Paradise Moni swept from last of five to a blowout victory in the first split for horses and geldings. After trailing through early splits of :29.1 and :59.3, Denis St. Pierre activated the gelding approaching three-quarters in 1:28.2, and Paradise Moni glided past his four rivals uncovered on the way to a 1:58.3 score. Pacesetter Mass Speed (Berube) was second, followed by Last Try (Francis Picard).
Now two-for-two in Quebec this year, defending Series Quebecoises champion Paradise Moni has won 19 of his 56 career starts and has earned $134,488. The five-year-old son of International Moni-Jessies Song is also owned by Ecuries Maguire Inc. and Jean-Francois Maguire. He is three-for-11 this year. The win price was $2.50.
Mvps Daughter, the 2025 mares series champion, held off first-leg winner and heavy favourite Chic Choc Rose to take the lone division for distaffs. Francis Picard had the five-year-old sprinting away to secure a seat in the pocket behind longshot Greenleaf (Steven Gagnon), who led a single-file group of five through :28.4 and :59.4 first-half panels. As the leader accelerated off the turn for the backstretch, Mvps Daughter hit the gas and pounced, reaching level terms with Greenleaf past three-quarters in 1:29.2 with Chic Choc Rose (Berube) rallying from 3-3/4 lengths back after being jammed up in fourth. The first-over horse left Greenleaf behind in the stretch, and Chic Choc Rose had nothing in reserve as Mvps Daughter rolled home a 1-1/2-length winner in 1:58.3. Chic Choc Rose was second, and Greanleaf finished third.
Mvps Daughter finished second in the first round after winning a Preferred at Hippodrome 3R on May 17. The My Mvp-Promising Lavec mare is owned, trained, and was bred by Jerome Lombart of Bromont, Que. She is two-for-four this year with 10 career wins and $97,127 in the bank from 47 starts. Her backers received $8.20.
The final preliminary leg of the trotting series is set for June 25, followed by the final on July 5.
To view Thursday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Thursday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(Standardbred Canada)