When the Quebec Jockey Club added a special Friday race card in addition to its Sunday card of harness racing at Hippodrome 3R, there was little trouble filling both race programs.
In fact, there are a total of 19 races over the two days and all but one race has full fields of eight starters and the one race that did not fill all the way has seven starters.
“We are really pleased with the results from this quick double draw on Wednesday,” said Murielle Thomassin, Director of Racing at the Hippodrome 3R. “We only announced late Tuesday that we were adding the Friday card and then on Wednesday morning we had more than enough horses in the entry box.”
Friday’s special afternoon program has 10 races, with a first post time of 3:00 p.m. Three of the Friday races are Preferred events.
The spotlight will actually be on the fourth race trot, where the undefeated track record holding champion colt of 2020, Kinnder Dangerzone, makes his 2021 debut from post five for driver Samuel Fillion.
The son of Northern Escort, bred, owned and trained by Denitza Petrova, started only four times last year, but won all of his starts, including a track record 2:01 victory in the $55,000 final of the Future Stars Series at 3R.
Kinnder Dangerzone is the lone three-year-old against older horses and is the 3-1 second choice in the race. The favourite is Field Gunner (post 2), who won opening day last week at 3R in 2:01.3. He will be driven by Stephane Brosseau.
The eighth race Preferred-Handicap Pace for the horses is a showcase event featuring Mickeymaksomespeed (post 7), who on opening day put in a monster effort in his first start back in 2021, romping by five and one-half lengths in 1:54.2 for breeder, owner and trainer Michel Allard. He will be driven again by Richard Simard.
Starting alongside Mickeymaksomespeed is four-time Quebec Series Champion, Atomic Million AM in post 6 for driver Sylvain Lacaille. Other contenders are Somewhere Bettor (post 4) and Dreydl Hanover (post 8).
The 7th race Preferred-Handicap Mares Pace features Big Diamond (post 7) taking on Topsill Beach (post 8), a return winner from last week and Arrhythmogenic (post 3).
Then in the ninth race Preferred-Handicap Trot, Kinnder High Class (post 1) returns and is hopeful to make amends for having broken equipment last week and not finishing the race. She was a ten-race winner, setting a track record last year and has a record of 1:56.2.
Severus Hanover (post 5) won last week's contest in 1:59.3 and has Stephane Brosseau back in the sulky. Also in the race are top performers Seeyou Men (post 6), Profound Paragon (post 8) and Bucketlist Hanover (post 7).
For more information and a free race program, visit hippodrome3r.ca. To view the entries for the weekend cards, click the following link: Entries - Hippodrome 3R.
(Quebec Jockey Club)