The Future Stars Series for two-year-old pacing colts and fillies are the feature attraction at the Hippodrome 3R on Sunday (July 31) with four divisions of the second round of the series.
Sunday’s program is the last live racing at 3R as the track goes on a two-week hiatus for another form of horse power, auto racing, as the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres comes to town and uses part of the racetrack for their two-week event. Live harness racing will resume on Tuesday evening, August 16.
The pacing fillies are first on the track Sunday with an early, non-wagering race at 1:15 p.m.
World class harness racing driver Daniel Dube, a favourite son and native of Trois-Rivieres, takes on a new roll in this race, that of the owner and breeder of Queen Elsa, who starts from post five.While Dube will not be in town to drive, Steeven Genois will be in the sulky for trainer Guy Boulianne. Although winless in three starts in the New York Sire Stakes, Queen Elsa (by Rock N Roll Heaven) started off her career with an impressive 1:57.1 qualifying triumph with Dube in the sulky back on June 20 at Gaitway Farms' mile oval in Millhurst, New Jersey.
The second filly division is the third race where Kinnderuntouchable looks for a repeat winning performance in the series. She led from start to finish last week for driver Justin Filion, just holding on by a head in 2:03. This daughter of Allamerican Native was bred and is owned and trained by Denitza Petrova of Les Cedres, Que. Kinnderuntouchable will start from post two. Starting from post five is the Shanghai Phil filly, D Gs Elsa. She was just a step away from defeating Kinnderuntouchable last week for driver Jonathan Lachance.
The first division for pacing colts takes place in the second race where the morning line favourite is the Ontario invader, Doc Semalu, in post two. This gelded son of Mach Three hails from Yves Filion’s Bayama Farms and has been competing in the Ontario Sire Stakes where he has been race timed in 1:54.4. Second choice in the race is Histoire Enchantee from post three for driver Mario Charron and trainer Maxime Velaye. This son of Shanghai Phil just held on to the lead from start to finish in the series last week in 2:01.3. Another return winner in the field is C L Sportaction in post six. A son of Sportswriter, C L Sportaction was victorious last week in 2:02.
There are no return winners in the sixth race, second colt division, but four of the six horses in the race were either second or third in the series last week. The early favourite is Majo Lou Beka for driver Jonathan Lachance, who with trainer Mario Lachance, have three contenders racing in the series. This son of Badlands Hanover goes from post five and last week closed with a :28.4 last quarter-mile to lose by just a neck to Histoire Enchantee. Other contenders include Wildriverbumblebee (post four), Brave Magic (post two) and Chaleurs Magic (post one).
Sunday’s program features a unique two-mile pace in the 10th race with 10 starters. Strokin is the favourite in the four-lap event for driver Louis-Philippe Roy after setting a Quebec Fair track record two starts back at a 1-1/2 mile distance race.
To view Sunday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Sunday Entries - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from QJC)