Driving title on the line Sunday at H3R

Trois-Rivieres, QC – This Sunday is the final day of harness racing at the Hippodrome 3R for the 2020 season. It will be a total of 44 race days, four extra days than the normal 40-day race meet due to extra simulcasting revenue due to Covid-19.

Yet, despite the extra race days, the annual driving title at H3R has yet to be decided as leader Pascal Berube holds a slim four-win lead (52 to 48) over Stephane Brosseau. But on Sunday Brosseau has eight drives and Berube has none.

Why no drives for Pascal Berube who did not miss a day of racing all season long at H3R? That's because Berube has moved his stable and base of operations this past week to Toronto.

Thus, he is leaving the driving title up to Brosseau, if he can even tie Berube or surpass him with a five-win day.

Winning the H3R drivers title on closing day is nothing new for Brosseau. He did it back in 2017, scoring three wins closing day to capture the title from rival Stephane Gendron.

As for the leading trainer title, that is already decided and in an unprecedented feat, trainer Francis Richard is capturing his fourth straight H3R title. He goes into Sunday's 10 race card with an 11-win lead, 33 to 22, over Maxime Velaye. Neither Richard nor Velaye have any horses entered at H3R on Sunday.

"I feel blessed to be lucky enough year after year to have good owners and good horses in my barn," Francis Richard said. "And a great team behind me. We work hard day in and day out. So, it's a nice reward to get that training title one more time."

On the racetrack Sunday there are three Preferred events starting in the third race for the top trotters.

Heading the field is last week's upset winner, Sir Chopin (post 5) with owner, trainer and driver Carol Voyer. They face rivals Keepall (post 6), Precieuse CC (post 3) and Caroluzzo (post 2).

The fifth race features the Preferred horses where Dreydl Hanover (post 6) will seek a return trip to the winners for driver Samuel Fillion. Last week Drey­dl Hanover was a tiger against this same field, scoring in 1:55.3.

Also entered are 4-time Quebec Champion, Atomic Million Am (post 7), City Of The Year (post 2), Maracasso (post 5) and Somewhere Bettor (post 8).

The Fillies and Mares do battle in the sixth race where Wild River Swan (post 8) is coming off a wire-to-wire triumph in 1:57.4 with Samuel Fillion in the sulky. She has now won two of her last three starts.

She will face rivals Sieras Rose (post 1), Shemaksmefelunreal (post 7) and Y C easy (post 2).

The seventh race features the 14-year-old pacer Onyx V A (post 2), who is making the last start of his career as he must retire from racing on January 1, 2021. The Quebec-bred son of Electric Stena was bred and has been owned by Andre Larocque of Lourdes-De-Joliette his entire career.

Onyx V A raced every year of his career with 47 victories. After his race, win or lose, trainer-driver Claude Beausoleil will bring Onyx V A back to the winner's circle for a special presentation.

Track Notes: Of the 79 horses entered for the final day of racing at H3R, all 79 horses were used for the race program. First race post time Sunday at 1:00 pm. For a free race program, visit www.hippodrome3r.ca.

From the Quebec Jockey Club