TROIS-RIVIERES, Quebec, July 18, 2016 – The future stars of harness racing from the Quebec region begin their careers Tuesday evening at the Hippodrome 3R with the start of the $200,000 Future Cup Series.
This series is for two-year-old trotting colts and fillies and features four weeks of preliminary round competition with the top eight point earners from both the filly and colt divisions returning on Sunday, September 4 for their $65,000 finals.
The trotting colts are on display first in the third race. This is the first time any of these youngsters have raced for a purse and thus one needs to look at their breeding to see who could be an up-and-coming star in the future.
That honor could well go to the morning line favorite, Capteur De Reve, who starts from post five for trainer Maxime Velaye. This son of Muscle Mass was bred and and is owned by Ecruie Provoquante of Mirable, QC and will be driven by Guy Corbeil.
Capteur De Reve's dam (mother) is Noblesse, who is a half-sister to non-other than three time Quebec-bred Series Champion, Maximuscle, who is racing later in the program in the eighth race. Capteur De Reve has also finished a strong second in a qualifier last week at Rideau Carlton in 2:04.
With just three fillies entered, the filly division will be non-wagering and the race will be held right after 5th race on the program.
Making her debut to pari-mutuel racing will be the younger full sister to Maximuscle, Affirmee. She is also owned and bred by Ecruie Provoquante, trained by Velaye and will start from post three for Corbeil. She has also been race-timed in 2:04.
So we have a brother and two sisters and their nephew, all racing on the same program at 3R Tuesday.
There are also two divisions of the third round of the Breeders Cup Series for three-year-old trotting fillies and colts.
In the fourth race first division for trotting fillies is another full sister to Maximuscle in Éclair Chocolat from post six. She was third in the opening round of the series.
The race favorite is Y A Jailhouse Rock and driver Stephane Gendron from post five. They are attempting to make a clean sweep of the series, having won both opening round legs.
The daughter of Andover Hall, trained by Michel Allard and co-owned by Yves Sarrazin and Rene Allard, is on a roll, having won five of her last six starts.
Other contenders in the field include Y S Suzanne (post three) and Eau Naturelle (post one).
The colts do battle in the sixth race where Holiday Party (post 9) is the heavy favorite and is on a tear, with a four-race win streak on the line for trainer Dany Fontaine and driver Pascal Berube.
This son of Holiday Road has won five of nine starts for Ecurie Gaetan Bono, Inc. of Montreal, the fastest a lifetime mark of 1:57. Missing from the lineup is track record holder Wildwild Men, who had also won two legs of the series.
Post time is 7:00 pm Tuesday. For a free race program and live video feed of the race card, visit www.quebecjockeyclub.com.
From the Quebec Jockey Club