The opening round of the new Quebec Plus Series takes centre stage at Hippodrome 3R on Sunday for three-, four-, and five-year-old pacers.
The Quebec Plus Series is for horses that were eligible to Quebec-Bred Series earlier this season and were non-winners of $7,500 as of early September. There will be two weeks of preliminary rounds followed by $10,000 finals.
The fifth race has a field of nine horses going to post in the first round for the pacers.
The morning line favourite is Hercule J M from post eight for driver Pierre Luc Roy. The only five-year-old in the field, this gelded son of Goliath Bayama has two wins this year. Three starts back he took his lifetime mark with a 1:58.4 triumph at 3R.
Westernize won two starts back in 2:00 should be heard from in this race from post four for driver Francis Picard, along with Art Of The Master (post six) and Classic Terror (post seven).
The pacing fillies and mares in the Quebec Plus Series is highlighted by Flash Panic, who drew the rail in the non-wagering division that will be held after the first race Sunday.
Sired by Sportswriter, Flash Panic will be driven by Stephane Gendron for trainer Francis Richard. She sports four wins this year and two starts back wired the field in a lifetime best 1:57. The prior week she also won in 1:58.2.
Her main contenders are Lune Bleu (post two), also a four-time winner this year, Feu D Artifice (post three) and Y C Easy (post four).
The top trotters at 3R will compete in the third race Preferred class with three return winners in the field.
Three-time Quebec-Bred Series champion, Capteur De Reve, heads the field from the rail for regular pilot Pierre Luc Roy. He won this class in his last start in 2:00 and has now won four of his last six starts for trainer Maxime Velaye.
Seeyou Men has returned to his winning way for trainer Daniel Martin and goes from post four. In his last start at Rideau Carleton, Seeyou Men had a great trip and parlayed it into a 1:57.4 triumph, his fifth of the year.
Also entered are return winner Broadway Maija (post six) who scored at 3R last week in 2:00; Holiday Party (post three), a 1:58.2 winner two starts back, R Rkadabra (post two) and Jamigo (post five).
First race post time is 12:50 p.m. To view the entries for Sunday's card of harness racing at Hippodrome 3R, click the following link: Sunday Entries - Hippodrome 3R.
(with files from the Quebec Jockey Club)