The spotlight will be on the four $35,000 finals of the Quebec-Bred Series for four and five-year-old pacers and trotters Sunday at the Hippodrome 3R.
Culminating the three weeks of preliminary round action will be the top point-earners in the month-long series. And the very first final on the program is race three for older male pacers and it has shaped up to be perhaps the toughest of the four finales.
Both Champagne Phil and Atomic Million AM have been battling each other for the past three years and once again meet in the Quebec-Bred Series finale.
Champagne Phil comes into the final on a five-race winning streak for trainer Francis Richard and driver Denis St Pierre. The five-year-old gelded son of Shanghai Phil will start from post five and has been on a tear. Three starts back at Mohawk Racetrack he took a lifetime mark of 1:49.4.
Meanwhile, Atomic Million AM has been either first or second in his six starts this year for owner/trainer Alain Martin. He has almost never lost at Trois-Rivieres, scoring in 1:55.2 there two starts back. A four-year-old gelded son of Million Dollar Cam, Atomic Million Am starts from post three.
With these two high caliber contenders going head and head, the gelding track record of 1:53.1, equalled two starts back by Champagne Phil, could well be broken.
“I just finished watching my replays,” said St Pierre on Friday, “and I really think I can beat him [Atomic Million AM], I know his weakness. And Champagne Phil is a very, very nice horse.”
The fourth race is the $35,000 final for older male trotters and the overwhelming favourite, who was barred from wagering in his last start at 3R, is this season's undefeated Maximuscle. He starts from post six for driver Mario Charron.
Three-for-three in 2015 for trainer Maxime Velaye, Maximuscle has just bullied his way in the series with no one able to stay close to him. The four-year-old gelded son of Angus Hall has led from start to finish in all three of his races this season, the fastest in 1:57.1 at Rideau Carleton Raceway in his latest start.
The real race will be for second-place, which is worth $8,750. There we will see Andovers Touch (post eight), who won two of the three preliminary rounds when not facing Maximuscle, Somoli E (post two) and George S P (post four) in a close match-up.
“I do not think another horse can keep close to Maximuscle,” said Charron. “They have not been able to this season. I think he could break the track record [of 1:56] with ease, but the trainer and owner do not want me to push him that hard. There is no need to, but if I cut him loose, he would break the record. I would go for it, but they don’t want to. He is that good a horse.”
The sixth race finale for older pacing mares features Champagne Shower going for her fifth straight win. She starts from post three for driver St Pierre.
The four-year-old daughter of Santanna Blue Chip seeks to make it a clean sweep of the Quebec-Bred Series for trainer Yves Tessier. Last week, Champagne Shower and Pierre cruised to a four and three-quarter length triumph in 1:54.3. That mile tied the track record for older mares.
“She is strong,” St Pierre said. “She passed the test last week as she won well within herself.”
My Tallia Ideal (post seven) was the hot mare two starts back when she also won in 1:54.3, tying the track record, but last week she was only second-best to Champagne Shower. Others contenders include series division winner Victoria Semalu (post four) and Lutetia Semalu (post two).
Viva Bayama is the strong horse in the eighth race final for older trotting mares. She sports six wins in just nine starts this year for trainer Sebastian Giroux and starts from post three for driver Denis St Pierre.
The four-year-old Muscle Mass mare has won her last two starts at Trois-Rivieres the hard way, having to race first-over and grind it out as she has no ability to leave at the start of the race.
“My plan will be the same,” St Pierre said. “She cannot leave at all. We will have no choice but to be parked out and sit and wait.”
Her main rival is just the opposite of Viva Bayama as Canbec Kangourou (post five) is hot for the lead at the start of most of her races. She won one of the three preliminary rounds, leading from start to finish, but when facing Viva Bayama, she has been just second-best. Canbec Kangourou is driven by Jocelyn Gendron and is expected to try and wire the field again.
St Pierre celebrates his 54th birthday on Saturday and would like nothing more as a birthday wish than to have a big day Sunday at the Hippodrome 3R.
“I think that I could have a big day at 3R Sunday,” St Pierre said. “After studying the race program and watching replays, I could maybe win six of the races. That would make for a great day after my birthday celebration.”
Post time Sunday at the Hippodrome 3R is 1:30 p.m.
To view Sunday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Sunday Entries - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from QJC)