Powerful Quebec-bred three-year-old pacers will go Sunday (1:00 p.m. post) in two $7,500 divisions for each sex of the Trophee Des Eleveurs’ second leg.
The fillies will take to the track first, contesting races two and eight, and it is the second race which contains the faster winner in the first elimination round contests. That would be Acaena De Chakira, a daughter of Sunshine Beach who was the 2019 divisional champion and showed no signs of wanting to relinquish her title when she won her first start in the series in 1:57. She went wire-to-wire from post four in that race; controlling the pace may be harder here as she begins from post six in a field of eight for driver Stephane Brosseau, trainer Dany Fontaine, and owner Diane Lepine.
Race eight on the nine-race card finds the other first-round winner, Godiva Lovely Lady, beginning from post seven for driver Steeven Genois, trainer Lyne Asselin, and owner Raymond Larose. The daughter of Badlands Hanover won in 2:00 in the first leg, but she may have to go faster Sunday if she is to take her second straight; Perfect Romi, favoured in this division in the first leg, is again the morning line choice as she begins from the rail.
The colts and geldings will contest their Trophee Des Eleveurs divisions in the fourth and sixth slots. The fourth race section does not contain one of the first round’s winners and appears pretty wide open -- Retour Au Jeu was the early choice despite the outside post seven, but in his favour is driver Stephane Gendron, the winningest driver in the current Quebec-bred series history with eight champions.
The two first-round winners will start side-by-side in the second cut: the Mickey Hanover colt Mickeymaksomespeed, a 1:55.4 winner in round one and starting from post two today for driver Steeven Genois and owner/trainer Michel Allard, and just outside him the Windfall Blue Chip gelding Whitecookie, who won by open lengths in 1:56.4 for trainer/driver Marie Claude Auger and co-owner Pierre Marc Longpre. Also in this division is the 2019 series champion Eclat De Rire, who was only a length behind Mickeymaksomespeed in the first round but who has a major positional disadvantage here as he starts from post five for driver Stephane Gendron.
FINISHING LINES – During the last Regional Circuit card at 3R Saturday, three races for amateur drivers saw impressive miles – Jessica Turenne put a new mark of 1:57.2 on Uncle Bill; Francis Richard, annually one of 3R’s leading trainers, took a rare turn in the sulky and posted a 1:58.4 victory with Twice An Angel, who had won less than 24 hours earlier over the same oval; and Nancy Auger stayed undefeated after two annual starts by guiding Gutsy Greg to a 1:59 triumph.
To view the entries for Sunday's card, click the following link: Sunday Entries - Hippodrome 3R.
(Quebec Jockey Club)