“A good horse is always a good horse.” That’s what trainer Yves St Jacques has to say about his trotter, Frido PV.
And despite missing nearly an entire year of racing due to surgery, Frido PV is on a roll as he heads into one of two $6,500 divisions of the Quebec-Bred Series for older trotters at Hippodrome 3R on Friday, June 23. The twilight race card gets underway at 4 p.m.
Now age six, Frido PV has been with St Jacques since he was foaled. The son of Muscle Mass-Justi P V is owned by breeder Marcel Brouillard of St-Marcel-De-Richelieu, Que.
So far this season, Frido PV has been nearly unbeatable with four wins in five starts. His only loss was by a nose to top mare Stella Alpha.
On Friday, Frido PV will start from Post 4 with regular driver Jonathan Lachance. The duo has won back-to-back races, including a series division during round one last Friday.
But what happened to Frido PV last season when he started only eight times with no wins?
“It was because he was sick last year,” explained St Jacques. “And he had to be operated on at the Veterinary Medicine of Saint Hyacinthe for colic. I had to completely stop training him for six months and then bring him back slowly.
“I started training him back in December of 2022,” said St Jacques. “He was good before the operation. Back in [August of 2021], he was racing at Mohawk and was [second] twice, timed in 1:53 [and change].
“I did not have any doubts he would come back strong. That’s why I can say a good horse is always a good horse.”
Last week, Frido PV and Lachance went first-over against former Quebec champion Seeyou Men and were able to grind out a 1:58.2 triumph in the opening round of the Quebec-Bred Series.
There are three preliminary legs of the series followed by a $30,000 final.
Frido PV is the 3-2 favourite on the morning line in the eighth race, second division on Friday. Four-time Quebec champion Capteur De Reve will leave from Post 2 for driver Stephane Brosseau. He won his first two starts of the season for trainer Maxime Velaye but was a disappointing fifth last week in the series.
The fourth race is the first Quebec-Bred Series division and features return winner Orlys Pride from post five for driver Jocelyn Gendron. Last week, the seven-year-old Archangel gelding stormed to the lead at odds of 18-1 and never looked back, winning in 1:59.2. Trained by Paulo Jutras for the Orlando Stable Inc. of Lasalle, Que., Orlys Pride will not have it as easy as last week as his competition includes Seeyou Men (Post 3, Guy Gagnon), Stella Alpha (Post 2, Pascal Berube) and Only For Justice (Post 6, Robert Shepherd), who despite having broken equipment last week, was still a game second to Orlys Pride.
Hippodrome 3R has eight races scheduled for Friday afternoon. For a free race program, visit hippodrome3r.ca.
To view Friday's harness racing entries, click the following link: Friday Entries - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)