The spotlight Sunday at Hippodrome 3R will be on the opening round of the Breeders Trophy Series for three-year-old colt and filly pacers. There are three divisions, one for the colts and two for the fillies.
All of the youngsters competing today are earning points during the three preliminary rounds to be one of the eight finalists in the $65,000 finals on Sunday, September 12.
The show gets underway with the very first race on the program being the first leg of the Breeders Trophy Series for colt and gelding pacers. There are nine starters in the slugfest that could be the best race on the card Sunday.
The Light Speed heads the lineup as the gelded son of Moon Beam is undefeated in four starts for trainer-driver Guy Gagnon. He starts from post four and in his last start at Rideau Carleton he was at his best, scoring a lifetime mark of 1:52.3. He was bred and is owned by Michel Nolette of Princeville.
Also in the field is Yves Filion’s Cadillac Bayama, starting from the rail. This son of Sunshine Beach won three times last season for earnings of $42,000 for Bayama Farms of Saint-Andre-D’Argenteuil, the fastest a lifetime mark of 1:53.4 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
This year Cadillac Bayama is winless in three starts, losing the toughest one by a nose in an amazing 1:50.4 at Mohawk.
Local favourite Chantee goes from post five for driver Stephane Gendron for trainer Maxime Velaye. Bred and owned by Guy Corbeil of Mirabel, Chantee's last start was at 3R, where the son of Shadow Play took a lifetime mark in 1:57.3, extending his win streak to three.
Other contenders include return winner Putins Dart (post nine), four-time winner Diamond Rock (post seven) and Navalny (post six).
The fillies get underway in the Breeders Trophy Series starting in the fourth race where CL Sportsextreme takes on Celia Bayama and Whitemountaincammy.
CL Sportsextreme goes from post two for driver Jonathan Lachance. The daughter of Sportswriter has three starts this season and last week exploded in her division of the OSS Grassroots at Mohawk, winning in 1:53.1. She is trained by Dany Fontaine for the Leblanc Stable of Saint-Eustache.
Celia Bayama (pictured below) is another top filly from the Yves Filion Stable. She starts from post one with Yves in the sulky. The Bettors Delight filly won four times last year with earnings of more than $58,000. So far in 2021 she has yet to win in five starts but was second by a neck at Mohawk in 1:54.1.
Whitemountaincammy has been doing well at 3R this season with three wins in her last four starts, all at 3R. She starts from post six for driver Stephane Brosseau and enters the race off a lifetime best 1:57.4 triumph.
The second division of the Breeders Trophy Series for filly pacers is the sixth race where local favourite Platine Alpha (post two) heads the field for the Alpha Stable and trainer Sylvain Tremblay.
Sired by Control The Moment, Platine Alpha is currently the winningest horse at 3R this season with five triumphs. Regular pilot Pascal Berube will be in the sulky. Platine Alpha took a record of 1:57 at 3R two starts back.
It will not be a walk in the park for Platine Alpha as starting from post four is Got Sexy Scars. This daughter of Sportswriter may be winless in five starts for trainer Daniel Dulude and owner Bruno Lepage of Beauharnois, who bred the filly, but she has shown awesome speed at Georgian Downs where in her last start she missed winning by a nose in 1:52.3.
Other contenders include D Gs Magicmoment from post five for driver Jonathan Lachance and Clear The Credit (post six) for driver Samuel Fillion.
And if the stakes action is not enough, 3R hosts a well-matched field in the eighth race Preferred-Handicap Pace. Top pacers Mickeymaksomespeed (post five), Somewhere Bettor (post two) and D Gs De Vito (post six) will be facing the warhorse and four-time Quebec-Bred Champion, Atomic Million AM, who goes from the rail for driver Sylvain Lacaille. Last week Atomic Million AM won at 3R in a pedestrian time of 1:59.
Post time on Sunday is 12:30 p.m., with a free program available at hippodrome3r.ca. To view the entries for Sunday, click the following link: Sunday Entries - Hippodrome 3R.
(Quebec Jockey Club)