Maxime Velaye returns to H3R with stakes colts

Trois-Rivieres, QC – Former leading harness racing trainer Maxime Velaye hopes to make a triumphant return to the Hippodrome 3R on Sunday (July 17) as he has two strong contenders for the opening round of the Breeders Trophy Series.

Velaye, who trains for prominent breeder/owner and sometimes driver Guy Corbeil of Mirabel.

“I’m very happy to be back racing at H3R,” Velaye said. “I have one trotter and two pacers and so far, they look really good. We cross our fingers that they stay sound and healthy. I think we should have a nice summer with them.”

Sunday’s card at H3R features three divisions of the Breeders Trophy Series opening round for three-year-old pacing colts and fillies.

Velaye’s top contender for the series is Aladdin (Shadow Play), who starts from post four in the 11^th race, the second division of the Breeders Trophy Series for colts.

The gelding never raced at age 2 but looks to be making up for lost time at age 3 with two wins in a row in three starts.

Last week at Rideau Carleton, Aladdin turned a two-hole trip into a lifetime mark of 1:54.2, last quarter in :27.4 for driver Samuel Fillion.

“So far he looks for real,” Velaye said. “He is really smart, and he improves with every start he has made. I have huge expectations for this one.”

Aladdin will be facing two return winners in the 11^th race. Titanium Alpha (Hes Watching, post 5) comes into the race off a wire-to-wire six and three-quarter length romp in 1:57.3. Aladdin Du Lac (Sunshine Beach, post 1) also romped in his last start, winning by nine open lengths in 2:00.2 in his first start this year.

In the 7^th race first colt division, Velaye sends out Maitre De La Scene, a gelded son of He’s Watching who starts for Fillion in post five.

He, as Aladdin, never started at age 2 and is winless in two starts at Rideau Carleton. His last start does show a fifth place finish, race timed in 1:56.4. He is listed at odds of 4-1.

Why didn’t either of these pacers race at age 2?

“They both had to have surgery late in the winter last year,” Velaye explained. “We didn’t have enough time to make them ready for the stakes season, so we shut them down early. They never had a training mile at age 2. This was the first time we were doing this. They both had surgery to remove bone chips from their ankles.”

Maitre De La Scene faces some tough competition from Le Massif (Shanghai Phil, post 1) for driver Steeve Genois. They were fourth in their last start at Rideau Carleton, timed in 1:54.4. HP Momentum (Control The Moment, post 2) comes from competing in Ontario where two starts back he was third, timed in 1:53.3 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Also returning to H3R Sunday is driver Samuel Fillion. He was last at H3R on June 26 when he won three races and captured the Quebec/Eastern Ontario Regional Driving Championship.

“Guy Corbeil met Samuel two years ago,” Velaye explained. “And it was always in the air that maybe someday he would drive for us. So, it happened this year and so far, he is doing a really nice job with the ones he has driven for us.”

The one division that Velaye does not have a horse entered is the filly division that goes in the 4^th race for a purse of $10,000 and features nine starters.

The race favorite, Majo Sport Fella (Sportswriter), goes from post nine for driver Jonathan Lachance. This filly has only one lifetime start and that was last week at H3R when she scored a two-length triumph in 2:01.3. She hails from trainer Normand Bardier, Jr. and owner Lynda Fortin of Mirabed, who bred the filly with the late Mario Lachance.

Other contenders in the field include Shes Rockandfame (He’s Watching) from post 2, AJ Dalia (Dali) in post 8 and Kinder Dirty Diana (Sunshine Beach) in post 1.

First race post time Sunday at H3R is 12:00 noon. For a free race program, click here.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Steve Wolf, for the Quebec Jockey Club