Louis-Philippe Roy, Canada’s leading money winning driver this season, is returning to his home track at Hippodrome 3R this Sunday for the start of the $220,000 Future Stars Series for two-year-old pacers.
But there is more at stake than just driving and winning races for LPR.
“Aside from the racing,” Roy said. “I like seeing my family, my friends, the racing fans and hopefully have a little bit of success on the track!”
Success has come big time this year for Roy, who in addition to being Canada’s leading money-winning driver, he is also second in Canada in races won this year.
But there is more to Roy just coming to drive in the stakes races this Sunday at H3R. He is also part owner of El Muchacho, who starts from the rail in the third race, the first colt division of the Future Stars Series.
The son of Goliath Bayama from the Run The Table mare, Maple Lady, is co-owned by Roy with trainer Kevin Maguire.
“I'm good friends with Kevin for a few years now,” Roy explained. “We're not exactly from the same place in life, but we met in harness racing and developed a good friendship.
“The last two years we went on vacations together in Dominican Republic and Cuba,” Roy added. “And we often talked about buying a horse together. We bought this horse as a yearling through a private sale. I taught him his first lessons with Stephane Brosseau for a few months, and then Kevin had him at his farm since then.
“The name, El Muchacho,” Roy explained. “comes from one of these trips we went on, because Kevin's father-in-law was with us on that trip and used to call every guy down there Muchacho and it was funny. So that is where his name came from.”
El Muchacho won his first start on the Quebec fair circuit in 2:09.1. He has not fared that well in his next two starts and is listed at 6-1 for Sunday’s race.
He will face some formidable foes including Chloes Master (post five), who was bred and is owned by Daniel Dube. This gelding by Vintage Master has been race timed his last two starts at Mohawk Racetrack and Harrah’s Philadelphia in 1:56.2.
Also in the race is the undefeated Lucky Match (post 6) for trainer/driver Yves Filion and recent H3R winner, Power Fog (post 7) for driver Jocelyn Gendron.
“Driving babies is double duty,” Roy said. “You want to teach them to race and also want to get the best result with them, especially in stakes races. Sometimes it's hard to combine both, but it's just more challenging. I like to try to develop them, especially when trainers give you 100 percent confidence, because I understand that it's a long process to get them to the races and that they have put a lot of time and work in them.”
The second colt division is the fourth race and it is highlighted by the Sportswriter colt, Stock, who starts from post three for driver Stephane Brosseau. Trained by Dany Fontaine, Stock has already showed his winning ability as he just won a $19,150 division of the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Series at Mohawk in 1:55, the last quarter in a speedy :27.3.
Also in the race is Phil Dorleans (post 5), who is a full-brother to pacing great, Duc Dorleans, p,5, 1:48.4 ($631,720). Phil Dorleans was second in the OSS Grassroots in 1:56.2 and won a qualifying race at Mohawk in 1:57.4. This son of Shanghai Phil from the Shipps Purser mare, Legende Dorleans, will be driven by Roy for trainer Jacques Dupont.
Another winner in the field is Kinnder Jackson (post nine) for driver Justin Filion. This colt by Allamerican Native is from the 100 percent producing mare, Lotsa Moxie, for owner, breeder and trainer Denitza Petrova.
The fillies get underway in the sixth race where the Mach Three daughter, Katniss S BG starts from post seven for trainer/driver Yves Filion. She was second in her last start at Rideau Carleton in 1:59.1, but paced her last quarter mile in :27.2.
Two return winners in the field are Super Spring (post one) and Liisawithtwoeyes (post eight).
The seventh race features the undefeated Butterfly BG (post six), who is already going for her third straight win for trainer Daniel Martin. This daughter of Sportswriter recently won at H3R in 2:02.4 and will be driven by Stephane Gendron.
Other hopefuls include Road To Lea (post three), who was timed in 1:57.1 at Georgian Downs in the OSS Grassroots and Pacotille (post seven), who has two wins already on the Quebec Fair Circuit.
After three weeks of preliminary rounds in the Future Stars Series, the top eight point earners will return for their respective $55,000 finals on Sunday, September 3.
Sunday’s eighth race Invitational Pace features the return of Half A Billion, who starts from post eight for LPR and is going for his seventh straight win. He has not raced for trainer Francis Richard since July 2 when he won in 1:53.4 and is taking on rival Sports Authority (post five), who won his last start at 3R in 1:54.4.
First race post time is 12:30 pm. To view entries for Sunday's card, click the following link: Sunday Entries - Hippodrome 3R
(with files from the Quebec Jockey Club)