This Sunday (Sept. 11), Hippodrome 3R is hosting its Super Sunday Quebec-Bred Championship Finals with total purses on the card exceeding $500,000.
And guess who is coming home to Quebec to drive in the finals? None other than world-class drivers Daniel Dube and Louis-Philippe Roy.
Both Dubé and Roy are household names in the harness racing industry, more so at Hippodrome 3R than any other track in North America.
Dubé was born and raised in Trois-Rivières while Roy hails from Mont-Joli and they both “cut their teeth” on the Quebec Regional Fair Circuit and then at Hippodrome 3R.
They are coming home to compete for big money in Quebec. The card on Sunday is the richest program in all of Quebec racing. Eight finals, four three-year-old divisions going for $65,000 each and four two-year-old divisions racing for $55,000 each. And there are three $10,000 Invitational events.
Last year Roy was at his best, winning five of the eight finals.
“I think winning five finals will be something hard to match,” Roy said. “But I have competitive mounts in most of the finals I’m in, and that’s all you need is good horses and a little bit of luck.”
Dubé has nine drives on the day while Roy has 11 drives.
“I got a call asking me to come up and drive,” Dubé said. “So, I said fine and the purses are good on Sunday. The racing is always good on Championship Day.”
Dubé and Roy will not just be battling each other, but also going against the best drivers at 3R, whom they have driven against before, namely Pascal Bérubé, Stéphane Brosseau, Robert Shepherd, Samuel Fillion and Guy Gagnon.
What does Roy enjoy the most about coming back to 3R to drive?
“Racing in front of a big crowd that loves horses and racing,” Roy said. “And the challenge of driving for people that have invested money and time for the dream of winning one of the eight finals.”
There is one special final: the $55,000 final for two-year-old pacing fillies in Race 10. Here both Dube and Roy have top contenders.
Dubé is aboard YS Poisson Davril (post two), who is coming off a 1:58.4 wire-to-wire win, the second win this year and a lifetime mark for the daughter of Sportswriter.
Meanwhile, Roy is driving Pocahontas Du Lac (post six), who until going against YS Poisson Davril last week, had won two straight in the series.
Pocahontas Du Lac is special to Roy because he bred the Betterthancheddar filly and co-owns her with his brother, Pierre-Luc Roy, Maude Larouche and Jean Allaire.
“It should be an interesting race with lots of fillies competitive enough to win,” Roy added. “I believe Pocahontas will show us a little more speed than she did in her elims, but she won’t be the only one stepping her game up.”
Both drivers were asked who will get the most cheers from the crowd.
“I love to see the people at 3R,” Dubé explained. “But I don’t know which of us they will root more for. I hope it would be me.”
“Everyone loves Dan and are happy to see him coming back to his hometown to drive in the finals, but I’m not that happy because he’s tough to beat.” Roy laughed.
Post time on Sunday is 12:00 noon for the 12-race card. For entries, click the following link: Sunday Entries - Hippodrome 3R.
(Quebec Jockey Club)