Stakes colts & fillies own spotlight at H3R

Trois-Rivieres, QC – The spotlight Sunday at the Hippodrome 3R will be on the opening round of the Breeders Trophy Series for three-year-old harness racing colt and filly pacers. There are three divisions, one for the colts and two for the fillies.

All of the youngsters competing today are earning points during the three preliminary rounds to be one of the eight finalists in the $65,000 finals on Sunday, September 12.

The show gets underway with the very first race on the program being the first leg of the Breeders Trophy Series for colt and gelding pacers.

There are nine starters in the slugfest that could be the best race on the card Sunday.

The Light Speed heads the lineup as the gelded son of Moon Beam is undefeated in four starts for trainer-driver Guy Gagnon. He starts from post four and in his last start at Rideau Carleton he was at his best, scoring a lifetime mark of 1:52.3. He was bred and is owned by Michel Nolette of Princeville.

Also in the field is Yves Filion’s Cadillac Bayama from the rail post position. This son of Sunshine Beach won three times last season for earnings of $42,000 for Bayama Farms of Saint-Andre-D’Argenteuil, the fastest a lifetime

mark of 1:53.4 at Mohawk Park.

This year Cadillac Bayama is winless in three starts, losing the toughest one by a nose in an amazing 1:50.4 at Mohawk Park.

Local favorite Chantee goes from post five for driver Stephane Gendron and is on a three-race win streak for the trainer Maxime Velaye. Bred and owned by Guy Corbeil of Mirabel, Chantee’s last start was at H3R, where the son of Shadow Play took a lifetime mark in 1:57.3.

Other contenders include return winner Putins Dart (post 9), four-time winner Diamond Rock (post 7) and Navalny (post 6).

The fillies get underway in the Breeders Trophy Series starting in the 4th race where CL Sportsextreme takes on Celia Bayama and Whitemountaincammy.

CL Sportsextreme goes from post two for driver Jonathan Lachance. The daughter of Sportswriter has three starts this season and last week exploded in her division of the Ontario Grass Roots at Mohawk Park, winning in 1:53.1. She is trained by Dany Fontaine for the Leblanc Stable of Saint-Eustache.

Celia Bayama is another top filly from the Yves Filion Stable. She starts from post one with Yves in the sulky. The Bettor’s Delight filly won four times last year with earnings of more than $58,000. So far in 2021 she has yet to win in five starts but was second by a neck at Mohawk Park in 1:54.1.

Whitemountaincammy has been doing well at H3R this season with three wins in her last four starts, all at H3R. She starts from post six for driver Stephane Brosseau and enters the race off a lifetime best 1:57.4 triumph.

The second division of the Breeders Trophy Series for filly pacers is the sixth race where local favorite Platine Alpha (post 2) heads the field for the Alpha Stable and trainer Sylvain Tremblay.

Sired by Control The Moment, Platine Alpha is currently the winningest horse at H3R with five triumphs. Regular pilot Pascal Berube will be in the sulky. Platine Alpha took a record of 1:57 two starts back at H3R.

It will not be a walk in the park for Platine Alpha as starting from post four is Got Sexy Scars. This daughter of Sportswriter may be winless in five starts for trainer Daniel Bulude and owner Bruno Lepage of Beauharnois, who bred the filly, but she has shown awesome speed at Georgian Downs where in her last start she missed winning by a nose in 1:52.3.

Other contenders include D Gs Magicmoment from post five for driver Jonathan Lachance and Clear The Credit (post 6) for driver Samuel Fillion.

And if the stakes action is not enough, H3R hosts a well-matched field in  the eighth race Preferred-Handicap Pace. Top pacers Mickeymaksomespeed (post 5), Somewhere Bettor (post 2) and D Gs De Vito (post 6) will be facing the warhorse and four-time Quebec-Bred Champion, Atomic Million AM, who goes from the rail for driver Sylvain Lacaille. Last week Atomic Million AM won at H3R in a pedestrian time of 1:59.

Post time on Sunday is 12:30 pm. And you cannot properly handicap the race without a free program that is available at www.hippodrome3r.ca.

From the Quebec Jockey Club