Trois-Rivieres, QC – The Quebec Jockey Club is hosting a rare three-day weekend of harness racing at the Hippodrome 3R, featuring stakes and special events this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The weekend has been billed as a Festival of Racing.
Breeders Cup For Trotters Friday
The big weekend kicks off Friday evening with the opening round of the $470,000C Breeders Cup Series for three-year-old trotting colts and fillies.
There will be three weeks of preliminary action culminating with the top eight-point earners in the series returning on Sunday, September 8 for their respective $65,000C finals.
The opening round features trotting fillies in the second race where rivals Cho Choo Blue (post 2) takes on Kinderunbelievable (post 8).
The trotting colts are in action in race five as $141,000C career winner Only For Justice (post 1) and stablemate Clevisse (post 8) race as an entry for trainer Dany Fontaine and the Gaetan Bono Stable of Montreal, who bred and owners both horses.
First race post time is 7:00 pm
Quebec Regional Fair Saturday
On Saturday, the Quebec Jockey Club hosts the Quebec Regional Fair which will feature a family fun day at the track with 13 races beginning at 1:00 pm.
Special activities on Saturday for the race fans include drawings for rides in a two-seat sulky on the racetrack, rides in the starting gate, plus drawings for dining-room packages and betting vouchers.
There will be a live horse on display at the entrance to the track for fans to take photos with and specially for the children there will be balloon sculptors and face painting, etc. And all the events are FREE for the patrons.
On the racetrack will be many two-year-old trotters and pacers competing for the first time. There is also a unique half-mile race (10th) featuring top pacers Surf Report (post 6) and Allstar Seelster (post 1). Since there is no record of a half mile race at the Hippodrome 3R, the winner will automatically become the track record holder.
In addition to the live racing, the track will also have a special Monte Race (racing under saddle) with trotters. There will be no wagering on the exhibition race that has a purse of $600C donated by Demers Excavation Company.
$120,000C Quebec-Bred Series Finals Sunday
The Quebec-Bred Series for older horses culminates on Sunday with four $30,000C final for the trotters and pacers plus the opening round of the $470,000C Breeders Cup Series for three-year-old pacers.
There are two trotters and one pacer who could become the first ever to win four Quebec championships. They are Capteur De Reve, Maximuscle and Atomic Million AM.
Capteur De Reve goes for his fourth straight title in the seventh trot final. Now age 5, the son of Muscle Mass will have a very tough task as he starts from the outside in post seven for driver Stephane Gendron. Last week he beat the odds-on favorite, Seeyou Men, who drew post one.
Maximuscle goes from post three for driver Louis Philippe Roy in trying for his fourth straight title. Other contenders in the race include track record holder Wildwild Men (post 8) and Kinnder Dangerous (post 2).
Then in the tenth race, Atomic Million AM heads the final for older pacing horses and starts from post five for driver Guy Gagnon. Undefeated at H3R this season, Atomic Million AM goes for his fifth straight win this year for trainer, owner and breeder, Alain Martin.
Now age eight, the son of Million Dollar Cam boasts four wins in six starts this year, his fastest mile coming last week with a 1:54.1 triumph, the fastest mile at H3R this season.
Other standouts in the race are Kinnder Jackson (post 3), HP Patriote (post 8) and Major Lou Beka (post 2).
The mares do battles in the third race trot final headed by Eau Naturelle (post two) against Lucky Promesses and Kascara Rosa. The pacing mares go at it in race eight featuring YS Tallia (post 7) going for her fourth straight win, Lit De Rose (post 6), Lune Bleu (post 1) and All You Can Dream (post 5).
The opening round of the Breeders Cup Series for the pacers takes place in races 2, 4, 9 and 11. Featured will be top colts and fillies Cooking Up The Speed (race 2), Ashleysbest (race 4) who goes for her fourth straight win, YS Sunshine (race 4), GA Speed Gaby (race 9), HP Napoleon, who comes to H3R off a 1:51 win at Woodbine and Bettor Now (race 11).
First race post time Sunday is 1:00 pm.
For a free race program, visit www.quebecjockeyclub.com.
From the Quebec Jockey Club