Three sons of the top stallion Sportswriter headline the second round of the $250,000 Quebec-Bred Series for three-year-old pacers at the Hippodrome 3R on Sunday.
Two colts are owned and were bred by the Hudson Standardbred Stable of Hudson, Que. and will race as an entry in the sixth race co-feature for trainer Daniel Martin.
Antar Phil is currently the better of the pair and starts from post two for driver Gaetan Lamy. Antar Phil, while winless last year in five starts, is making up for lost time this season. He has won his last two starts, last week in the Ontario Sire Stakes at Georgian Downs and the prior week at Mohawk Racetrack in identical clockings of 1:53.2. This is his first start ever at the Hippodrome 3R.
Half A Billion is the stablemate and starts from post eight and will be driven by his trainer, Daniel Martin. This year, Half A Billion has gotten off to a slow start and is 0-for-7, but he was a very promising two-year-old last season, winning more than $36,000. The entry is listed as the 5-2 morning line favourite.
The field of nine starter also features SOS Justified from post nine for driver Mario Charron. Last week, this son of Art Colony dazzled racing fans in just his second lifetime start, grabbing the lead after the opening quarter-mile in zooming to a 1:56 triumph in the opening round of the series. The colt never raced at age two for trainer Jean Tourigny, and SOS Justified looks to be the sleeper in the series.
Also on a two-race winning streak from post five is Bayama Farms' Western Bayama. This son of Lis Mara was a top two-year-old and won the final of this series last year at 3R for trainer/driver Yves Filion. He comes into the race with back-to-back wins at Clinton Raceway and Georgian Downs, the fastest a lifetime mark of 1:53.4, in the Ontario Sire Stakes.
Other contenders include the third Sportswriter colt, Sugarsam (post one), newcomer Mach On The Beach (post four) and HP Rayan Art Jules (post three).
There are two divisions of the series for three-year-old pacing fillies in the first race and the third race.
The first race features the very impressive Voodoo Charm, who is on a two-race win streak for trainer Maxime Velaye. This daughter of Ponder was an easy winner last week in the opening round in 1:58.2 and the prior week won at Mohawk Racetrack in a lifetime best 1:53.4. Voodoo Charm starts from post four with Charron in the sulky.
Voodoo Charm faces a formidable foe in the field with HP Rubis Joyce starting from post two. This daughter of Perfect Union won the other division of the series last week in 1:59 for driver Louis Philippe Roy and trainer Nathalie Migneault and joins other contenders No Panic (post one) and First Girl (post six).
The third race is headed by Wanda Bayama from post two for trainer/driver Yves Filion taking on Kinnder Elegance (post five) and Miss Bro (post six).
The Quebec-Bred Series features four weeks of preliminary competition with the top eight point-earners from each division returning to the Hippodrome 3R on Sunday, September 6 for their respective $65,000 finals.
Post time Sunday 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)