The Breeders Trophy Series for three-year-old trotters will get underway at Hippodrome 3R on Friday, July 12.
There will be three divisions on Friday comprising the first of three preliminary rounds ahead of the $65,000 finals for both the fillies and colts on Sunday, Sept. 8.
The colts and geldings are split into two $7,500 opening round divisions with Wild Dream Men (pictured above) headlining the fourth race, first division from the inside post for trainer/driver Guy Gagnon. Last season, the Kadabra gelding was a tough competitor in the Future Stars Series at 3R, making a costly break at the start in the $55,000 final and still able to rebound and finish second. Wild Dream Men returns to 3R off a nose triumph last week at Rideau Carleton Raceway in a lifetime best 1:58.4 for owners Catheline Pelletier and Chantal Gravel.
There are two other return winners in the race. Captain PV, a colt by Wheeling N Dealin starting from post five, has won his last two starts at H3R in 2:00 and 2:00.3. He will be driven by Marie-Claude Auger for trainer Serge Nadeau, who co-owns the colt with Ecuries Y Corriveau Inc. Last Try, a son of My MVP starting in post two for owner, breeder, trainer and driver Jerome Lombart, is coming off wiring the field at 3R last week in his first win in 2:01.3.
The seventh race, second colt division features a tough group of young trotters with Hercules, a son of Lookslikeachpndale in post two, coming into the race with three wins already this season for driver Stephane Brosseau and trainer Maxime Velaye, the fastest in 1:59.3 at Rideau Carleton for owner/breeder Ecurie Provoquante.
Other top contenders in the race include Paradise Moni (post one) for driver Pascal Berube, Ontario newcomer HP Run Detector (post three) with Robert Shepherd in the bike and Drinklikehenry (post four) for driver William Roy.
The trotting fillies will battle in the fifth race with one division racing for a purse of $10,000. The early morning line favourite is Sensi Amnesia, a daughter of Muscle Mass starting from post five for trainer, driver and co-owner Marie-Claude Auger. Last year, she was the winner of the $55,000 Future Stars divisional finale at 3R. Sensi Amnesia comes into the race after getting nosed out in her last start at Rideau Carleton in 1:58.4. She was bred by Auger, who co-owns the filly with Catheline Pelletier.
Other top contenders include JD Beauty (post one) for driver Francis Picard, Cleomax Duharas (post seven) with driver Stephane Brosseau and All She Wrote (post four) for driver Jocelyn Gendron.
It will also be trotting day at 3R on Friday with six of the 10 races being trotting events. The sixth race, $6,500 Preferred Handicap Trot features recent winners X O X O (post seven), Only For Justice (post eight) and Thats Hooligan (post six).
First race post time on Friday is 4 p.m. For free race programs, visit hippodrome3r.ca.
To view Friday's harness racing entries, click the following link: Friday Entries - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)