The Quebec-bred stakes program kicked off its 2026 season with three preliminary-round divisions of the Trophée des Éleveurs for three-year-old trotters on Thursday, July 16 at Hippodrome 3R.
Coupe de l’Avenir 2025 champion Magic Liam started his sophomore provincial stakes campaign with a hard-fought victory for driver Marie-Claude Auger in the single $10,000 dash for colts and geldings.
The gelding showed first off the gate but was left wide into the turn from post six and made the overland march to the front in a :30.3 first panel. After a 1:00.4 half, Saltimbanco (Jocelyn Gendron) raced up to test Magic Liam and eclipsed the pacesetter passing three-quarters in 1:31.2. Magic Liam returned fire from the pylons, gaining his edge back on the final turn, and he resisted the game attacker down the lane to win by a quarter-length in 2:01. Kinnder Top Class (Simon Delisle) finished third.
Magic Liam, undefeated in five starts as a freshman, took his first win of the 2026 season after six attempts without finding the winner’s circle in Ontario. The Guy Gagnon trainee is now six-for-12 lifetime with $53,200 in earnings. Ecuries Guy Gagnon Inc. and Stephanie and Frederic Gagnon of Gatineau, Que. own the son of Muscle Mass-American Gal K. The winner returned $2.80.
Silver Pride shone in the second $7,500 filly division, trotting the fastest mile of all three contests. After taking brief shelter in second on the first turn, Denis St. Pierre swung the filly to the front before a :30.1 quarter and rated her to the half of 1:01.1. The first-over Sos Halo (Sylvain Fontaine) dropped back as Silver Pride turned up the heat to three-quarters in 1:31.1, and the leader ensured a stress-free stretch drive as she powered clear by 4-1/4 lengths for the 2:00.4 victory. Tout En Muscle (Simon Delisle) finished second over Lindasdream (Pascal Berube).
Silver Pride has sparkled in her sophomore season, winning five of 10 starts and finishing second in all five defeats — three times by a nose. The homebred for Silver Stables of Venise-en-Quebec, Que. won a pair of Prospect Series legs in Ontario in her two starts prior to returning to her home province for Thursday’s outing. Jean-Francois Maguire trains the daughter of Alarm Detector-Hallywood Hills, who has won seven of 17 career starts and earned $54,465. She paid $2.10 to win.
Sos Unstoppable broke her maiden with a 9-1 upset in the other division for fillies. She trailed a three-horse leading group for owner-trainer-driver Sylvain Grenier, with Double Vie (Simon Delisle) heading the trio through fractions of :29.1, 1:00.3 and 1:31.3. Sos Unstoppable sized up the top two as Trixie Charm (Pascal Perube) popped the pocket on the last turn and came to blows with the pacesetter. Grenier’s filly then slid three-high at the top of the lane and cruised by them to win by three-quarters of a length in 2:01.4. Trixie Charm edged out Double Vie for place.
Sos Unstoppable‘s first victory came in her 16th lifetime start and seventh of the year. The My Mvp-Movin Over filly has now earned $11,090. Win bets on her paid $21.80.
The Trophée des Éleveurs and the Quebec-bred series for two-year-olds, the Coupe de l’Avenir, will run through August and conclude with the finals for both events on Sept. 13.
Kenogami Coco thoroughly earned his first win of the season, holding off the red-hot Paradise Moni after a gritty first-up journey in the $7,000 Preferred Handicap Trot.
Auger propelled Kenogami Coco forward out of post four, heading for the first turn in line with three opponents, then slid him in third while post-six starter Mass Speed (Steeven Genois) marched on to press leader J M Stella (Sylvain Lacaille). With the front-stepper unyielding past a :28.3 quarter, Mass Speed dropped into the pocket ahead of Kenogami Coco, settling the early action as they rounded the second turn. Favourite Paradise Moni (Denis St. Pierre) was yet to see a pylon and bearing down on the first three, prompting Auger to slide Kenogami Coco out from third going by the half in :59.1.
Kenogami Coco chipped away at leader J M Stella in a battle that carried them clear of the field, with only Paradise Moni stalking them from third going to three-quarters in 1:29.1. As Kenogami Coco wore down J M Stella and forged ahead on the homeward turn, Paradise Moni took the first-over spot and engaged the new leader. The two game foes duelled throughout the final eighth of a mile, and Kenogami Coco hung on by a half-length to score in 1:58.4. Paradise Moni’s five-race win streak ended with the tough second-place finish. J M Stella held third.
Kenogami Coco’s first tally of 2026 came in his eighth start and after a place effort in the prior week’s Preferred. The nine-year-old son of Wheeling N Dealin-Profound Wisdom raised his career record to 27-for-157 and his bankroll to $356,456. Daniel Martin trains the 2020 Trophée des Éleveurs champion for Marie-Claude Reid and Mario Menard of Montreal, Que. The win price was $5.40.
Trainer Marc-Andre Simoneau won with all three of his starters on the 10-race card, moving into a tie for the lead in the conditioners' standings. Royalty Girl ($2.10) dominated the opener for Simoneau, and Morally Flexible ($3.90) and Beauty Is Blind ($2.20) scored back-to-back wins to complete his triple. All three were driven by Pascal Berube. The trainer has 13 total wins from 50 starts in 2026, with 11 at Hippodrome 3R to tie Stephane Brosseau at the top of the leaderboard.
To view Thursday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Thursday Results - Hippodrome 3R.
(Standardbred Canada; photo of Magic Liam winning on July 16)