The second round of the $100,000 Quebec-Bred Series for four- and five-year-old pacers headlines Sunday's card at Hippodrome 3R with two full fields of ten starters going over the half-mile oval.
After four weeks of preliminary action, the top eight money earners will return on Sunday, June 11 for their respective $30,000 finals.
The older mares are first in the limelight in the sixth race and are once again headed by the entry of HP Sissy and HP Pandora, both of whom are bred and co-owned by Claude Hamel of Ayer’s Cliff. HP Sissy is co-owned by Hamel with Michel Damphousse of Louisville.
HP Sissy got the best of her stablemate last week, coming on in late stretch over the sloppy track to win by three-quarters of a length after HP Pandora had led the field from the start.
HP Sissy (1A) collars stablemate HP Pandora (1) at Hippodrome 3R in the opening round of the $100,000 Quebec-Bred Series Sunday
This week, HP Sissy starts from Post 5 and will have the driving services of top reinsman Guy Gagnon, who makes his first appearance at H3R this year. HP Pandora goes from Post 2 for regular driver Stephane Brosseau.
But it will not be a “walk in the park” again for the entry will face some stiff competition from both Drift Panic and Wanda Bayama.
Drift Panic starts from Post 4 for driver Francis Picard and trainer Jean Tourigny and last week scored an impressive 1:57.2 qualifying win at H3R by more than 20 lengths, the last quarter in :28.4.
Wanda Bayama brings Hall of Famer Yves Filion back to H3R where this mare has been a Sire Stakes champion. The $163,000 career winner has been competing with success on the WEG circuit with two wins and a record of 1:52.4.
The older horses get underway in the eighth race where Half A Billion is the race favourite once again after his impressive six length triumph over the sloppy track last week in the opening round. The five-year-old gelded son of Sportswriter starts from Post 4 for driver Francis Picard and has nearly $40,000 earned already this year for trainer Francis Richard.
New to the lineup this week is Rideau Carleton invader Killer Thriller, who starts from the second tier in Post 9. The five-year-old gelded son of Jeremes Jet is on a three-race winning streak with five wins already this year, the fastest a 1:53.4 lifetime mark.
Full brothers from the stable of Dany Fontaine finished second and third last week to Half A Billion. Mach On The Beach, age five, was second for driver Pascal Berube and they start from Post 10 in the second tier, while younger brother Mr Match On Beach, goes from Post 3 for driver Stephane Brosseau.
Also in the field are a handful of top Sire Stakes performers from last season: HP Patriote (Guy Gagnon) from Post 7, Sugarsam (Stephane Gendron) in Post 2 and Sports Authority (Pierre-Luc Roy) in Post 8.
The Preferred pace in Race 10 has ten starters as well and is headlined by four return winners: Arazi (Post 4), Code Word (Post 7), Royal Kee Wee N (Post 9) and Glass Shadow (Post 10).
First race post time is 12:40 pm. For entries, click the following link: Sunday Entries - Hippodrome 3R
TRACK NOTES: After the dust has settled from last week’s amazing eight-win track record performance, defending leading driver Louis-Philippe Roy is back on top of the driver standings at H3R and has an amazing driver rating of .778. Stephane Gendron, who is now just four wins away from his 4,000th career win, is in second place with seven wins and Richard Simard is in third place with six wins.
Defending leading trainer Yves Tessier, is on top again among the trainers with five wins from his stable. Daniel Martin is right behind him with four wins. Daniel LaFlamme is in third place with three wins after sending just four horses to post this meet.
(with files from the Quebec Jockey Club)