The Friday night (Aug. 30) 10-race program at Hippodrome 3R features a Preferred Handicap Pace, and watch out for Cooking The Speed.
This three-year-old filly by So Surreal was a lightly raced two-year-old, but was in championship form when she won the $55,000 Future Stars Series final.
This year, Cooking The Speed is nearly in identical form as last year, and thus trainer Michel Allard and Allard Racing want her in prime shape for this year’s $65,000 Breeders Cup Final that will take place on Sept. 8.
Cooking The Speed has the breeding that can make her a winner. She is the first foal from the great raceway mare, Cooking The Books, who raced for six years and won $479,734 with a record of 1:51.4.
“I claimed her (Cooking The Books) and then she got injured,” explained Michel’s son, Rene Allard. “She was a good raceway mare, so we bred her to So Surreal and got Cooking The Speed.
“Cooking The Speed was very good in training in south Florida,” Allard said. “I had her down to 1:56 and then sent her to Pocono Downs. She had trouble handling the turns there, so I sent her to my dad to teach her how to get around the short turns.
“We have a pony track at our farm in Québec,” Allard said. “He made some equipment changes and worked with her and she became excellent on a half-mile track.”
It seems that Michel Allard got the job done well, as Cooking The Speed has $54,405 in earnings.
On Friday, Cooking The Speed is the only filly in the nine-horse field. It will not be a walk in the park for Cooking The Speed, as she faces a very tough older rival named Lit De Rose.
A winner of half of her eight starts this year, Lit De Rose starts from the outside post eight for driver Stephane Brosseau. The Leader Bayama mare has won three of her last five starts, including a lifetime best 1:53 nose triumph at Rideau Carleton Raceway just two starts back.
Other good mares in the field include return winner Wild River Swan (post seven) and Uptown Girl (post six).
Cooking The Speed will be driven by Tyler Jones and is listed at odds of 5-1.
“I think she will race very well on Friday,” Rene Allard said. “And all the credit for this filly belongs to my father. He really did a fantastic job with her. And, Cooking The Books had a Betterthancheddar colt foaled this spring and I think he will be very good. We just have to wait and see. Right now, we want his older sister to get ready to race for big money next week.”
There will be eight finals at H3R on Sept. 8 with nearly $500,000 in purse money on the line.
Post time Friday evening is 7 p.m. For a free race program or to see the races live from H3R, visit www.quebecjockeyclub.com.
To view Friday's harness racing entries, click the following link: Friday Entries - Hippodrome 3R.
(Québec Jockey Club)