Sunday afternoon at the Hippodrome 3R will feature the inaugural Ben Hur Cup battle between Sylvain Filion and Louis-Philippe Roy. But those are not the only special races on Sunday.
The Ben Hur Cup involves eight races, the 2nd race through the 9th race.
Races one and ten are the second round of the Quebec-Bred Series for four and five-year-old pacers and will feature some very tough competition.
The first race is the mare’s division and making her return to the Hippodrome 3R is the 2016 Future Stars Champion, Daniel Dube’s Queen Elsa.
This daughter of Rock N Roll Heaven was bred and is owned by Trois-Rivieres native, Daniel Dube, now of Millstone, NJ. Queen Elsa has not fared well this year in the USA with just two wins in 16 starts, but she comes north off a strong 1:56.1 triumph at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Queen Elsa will start from post two for driver Stephane Gendron and is the 3-1 morning line second choice.
Imagine Speed in post four for driver Tyler Jones is the opening round return winner. She scored her second win in four starts this year for trainer Michel Allard with a neck triumph over Skyfall Sena in 1:57.4 at odds of 16-1. But Imagine Speed, despite her win, is the 7-2 third choice in the race.
Skyfall Sena from post six is the morning line favourite. She has been battling tough the last few weeks with four wins on the season and last week was second at Rideau Carleton, race-timed in 1:55.2. She will be driven by Mario Lachance.
The horses get underway in the Quebec-Bred Series in the tenth race where C L Sportaction and driver Jonathan Lachance will take on all comers once again.
In his last start in the series the four-year-old stallion by Sportswriter was at his best for Lachance, leading from start to finish in 1:55.2. He sports three wins in six starts for trainer Mario Lachance.
Last year’s Breeders Cup champion, Wildriverbumblebee makes his second start of the year from post seven for driver Sylvain Filion. In his debut this season he started from the second tier in post ten and never was in contention in the race and finished sixth. He is the second choice in the race.
Dance With Joe was third to C L Sportaction and starts Sunday from post three for driver Daniel Dulude. This son of Roll With Joe had scored three straight wins before tangling with C L Sportaction.
Other contenders in the ten-horse field are Major Alou Beka (post nine), HP Patriote (post 8) who was the Breeders Cup Champion back in 2016 and Histoire Enchantee (post 4).
Post time Sunday is 12:50 p.m.
There will be an autograph session meet and greet with Sylvain Filion and Louis-Philippe Roy at 11:30 a.m. in the Grandstand.
For a free race program for Sunday’s card, visit www.quebecjockeyclub.com.
(Quebec Jockey Club)