Three world driving champions plus Canada's leading dash and money-winning driver of 2018 are set to invade Hippodrome 3R this Sunday (September 9) as the track hosts its richest program of harness racing for the season.
In total, 512,000 in purses are up for grabs headlined by eight Quebec Championship Finals. The Breeders Cup Series for three-year-old trotters and pacers has four finals, each with a purse of $65,000. The two-year-old’s also will compete in four finals, each with a purse of $55,000. Plus, there are two $8,000 Invitational events, one for trotters and one for pacers.
For this rich day of racing, World Driving Champions Sylvain Filion, Jody Jamieson and James MacDonald plus leading Canadian reinsman Louis-Philippe Roy are coming in from Ontario to compete with 3R’s top drivers.
Here is a brief overview on each of the special races on Sunday.
Race 2 - $55,000 Two-Year-Old Colt Trot: Cesar Duharas is the race favourite and rightly so. Last week the son of Muscle Massive tied the track record for colts at 3R with a 2:01.3 triumph in the third round of the Future Stars Series. He will start from post five for trainer/driver Stuart Sowerby and breeder/owner Haras De Estrie, Inc. of Dunham. Cesar Duharas has three wins this season, the fastest a 1:58.3 record at Mohawk.
Competition will come from Yves Filion’s Money Hill (post eight), who has his son, Sylvain, driving the son of Muscle Hill, as well as the entry of Only For Justice (post one) and Clevisse (post four) for trainer Dany Fontaine.
Race 3 - $55,000 Two-Year-Old Colt Pace: YS Sunshine (post six) gets the call in here off his last start, a very impressive 1:53.4 lifetime mark last week at Mohawk. The Sunshine Beach gelding's other two wins this season came in legs of the Future Stars Series. Driver Stephane Gendron is back in the sulky for trainer Michel Allard and breeder/owner Yves Sarrazin of La Presentation.
Second choice is the undefeated D Gs De Vito (post eight) with driver Jonathan Lachance. This unbeaten son of Sportswriter is going for his fifth straight win, all at 3R, and he has a record of 1:58 taken last week. Other contenders include Guinness Panic (post five) and GA Speed Gaby (post three).
Race 4 - $65,000 Three-Year-Old Filly Trot: Provided they can stay on stride, Montanaalaska (post four) and Kinnder Prediction (post three) both have good chances of winning. Montanaalaska won two starts back for driver Guy Gagnon, but also shows tendency to break stride. Sired by Angus Hall, Montanaalaska is trained by Alain Martin for owner Michel Grenier of Gastineau.
Kinnder Prediction broke last week for driver Justin Filion. The prior week was first placed ninth and the week before won in 2:02.4 over Montanaalaska. The daughter of Northern Escort is trained, owned and bred by Denitza Petrova of Melbourne.
Race 5 - $65,000 Three-Year-Old Filly Pace: The entry of Butterfly BG (post four) and Katniss S BG (post 8) loom over the field. Katniss S BG is the stronger of the entry. This daughter of Mach Three has four wins this year, the fastest in 1:53 for driver Louis Philippe Roy and has won three of her last four starts for trainer Richard Moreau and co-breeders and owners Sylvain Desvheneaux and Gaston Bibeau of Sorel-Tracy.
Lit De Rose (post seven) might have been made the betting favourite if not for her starting from an outside post. This daughter of Leader Bayama has been first, second or third in her last six starts with a record of 1:57 taken two starts back. She will be driven for the first time by Sylvain Filion.
Race 6 - $8,000 Invitational Pace: Hard to believe that four of nine horses in this race, Cee Pee Panic, HP Patriote, Atomic Million AM and Wildriverbumblebee, are all prior Championship winners. Cee Pee Panic (post three) is the oldest at age nine. Wildriverbumblebee (post nine) is the youngster at age four and the race favourite with Sylvain Filion in the sulky. Wildriverbumblebee is coming off a 1:54 triumph at H3R in his last start for trainer Francis Richard.
UFDragons Rocket (post two) is the fastest return winner in the field, coming off a 1:52.1 triumph for driver Louis-Philippe Roy. Other contenders include Atomic Million AM (post five) and Windsun Cheyenne (post eight).
Race 7 - $55,000 Two-Year-Old Filly Trot: Kenogami Darling (post four) has dominated this division with back-to-back wins in the series and is going for her fourth straight win. The daughter of Justice Hall has been super for trainer Dany Fontaine and driver Guy Gagnon. Her record this year is 1:59.2 taken at Mohawk. She was bred and is co-owned by Jean Francois Reid of Anjou with Claude Reid of Jonquiere.
Although Kenogami Darling has beaten everyone else in the field, watch for Kinderunbelievable (post five) and Claudi P V (post six) to be on the board.
Race 8 - $55,000 Two-Year-Old Filly Pace: – Better Now (post 3) is the race favourite having won two of the legs at 3R, and is also coming off a strong second in the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots last week at Clinton Raceway for trainer and co-owner Pierre Ouellette. The filly by Betterthancheddar has Jody Jamieson in the sulky and can race well from on or off the pace.
Second choice is the top filly Hurryupatthebeach (post five). This daughter of Up The Credit was undefeated in her first five starts for trainer Pierre Leclerc, getting beaten for the first time in the third leg of the series. She will again be driven by Pascal Berube. Also watch for Flower Sena (post eight), who was able to beat Hurryupatthebeach in her last start for driver Jocelyn Gendron, but the outside post position will hinder her chances somewhat.
Race 9 - $8,000 Invitational Trot: What a top-notch race this will be. There are three Quebec Series Champions in the field, Capteur De Reve (post five), who just won his second straight title, former track record holder Seeyou Men (post seven) and Holiday Party (post eight).
Capteur De Reve with Pierre-Luc Roy in the sulky is the race favourite, having won the Open Handicap last week and with a record of 1:58.4 at 3R for trainer Maxime Velaye. Seeyou Men has Guy Gagnon in the sulky after they won last week at Rideau Carleton in 1:58.4. Others to watch include the return of Rocky Boy (post three), Broadway Maija (post four) and Windsun Hugo (post nine).
Race 10 $65,000 Three-Year-Old Colt Pace: – A great field of competition headed by race favourite Kinnder Jackson (post four), who has seven wins in ten starts, all at 3R for breeder, owner and trainer Deniza Petrova. This son of Allamerican Native has two wins in the series and will be driven for the first time by Louis-Philippe Roy.
Hudson Phil (post six) may show poor finishes in his last three starts for driver James MacDonald, but this son of Shanghai Phil was raced timed last week in 1:51.4 and has a record of 1:51.3 for trainer Mark Steacy. Play Jet Play (post seven) is part of an entry for trainer Dany Fontaine with last year’s Champion, Stock (post five), who won a leg of the Series back in July in 1:54.2.
Race 11 - $65,000 Three-Year-Old Colt Trot – SG Goliath King (post two) could be part of a double on the day for Hall of Fame trainer Yves Filion. This son of Lucky Fool has three wins in his last six starts and will have son Sylvain in the sulky.
Other contenders include Yankee Photo (post four) for trainer Gerald Woodberry and driver Pascal Berube, Orlys Fury (post three) and Nobodynojustice (post one).
Post time is 12:50 pm Sunday and for a free race program, visit quebecjockeyclub.com. To view entries for Sunday's card, click the following link: Sunday Entries - Hippodrome 3R.
(with files from the Quebec Jockey Club)