2YO’s getting attention in Future Stars Series

Trois-Rivieres, QC – The focus of the harness racing card at the Hippodrome 3R will be on two-year-old trotting colts and filles on Friday with the opening round of the Future Stars Series for the young trotters.

There will be three preliminary rounds of competition in the series with the top eight-point earners returning on Sunday, September 12 for their respective $55,000 finals.

It’s ladies first at H3R Friday with ten two-year-old filly trotters going to post in the sixth race. The large field, eight on the starting gate and two trailers is a bulky field for trotting fillies, but a good test of their ability to stay trotting with plenty of action expected.

The morning line favorite is Lune Duharas from post six for driver-trainer Denis Gueriel. The daughter of Muscle Mass from the Credit Winner mare, Moonglow, is a half sister to Astre Duharas, who has a record of 1:59. Moonglow herself was a $92,000 winner with a record of 1:56.2.

Shipping in from Mohawk Park, Lune Duhara shows just one qualifying start where she was a game second by a neck in 2:01.2. A repeat of that effort on H3R’s half mile oval will make her a winner on Friday.

Earlier this season Gueriel said “”I will be at H3R for the finals with this filly.” A bold statement back then that now looks like it could come true.

Another standout in the field is local favorite Stella Alpha for trainer-driver Sylvain Tremblay, the leading trainer at H3R this season with 17 wins from his stable.

Stella Alpha starts from post seven for driver Pascal Berube, who has been aboard the undefeated filly by Royalty For Life. She is two for two so far, stays on the trot but no real speed shown yet with her fastest win in 2:09.2, but Tremblay says she will continue to improve in ability and speed as the season progresses.

Other contenders in the field include Justice Ga Ga (Justice Hall), who led from start to finish in her second qualifier at H3R and goes from post 8 for driver Stephane Brosseau. El Gio (post 1) for driver Stephane Gendron and the entry from trainer Melanie Boulianne of La Surprenante (post 2) and La Surprise (post 4) will be heard from in the race.

The ninth race Future Stars division for the two-year-old trotting colts has just five starters and it will be a roll of the dice to see who can win in.

All of the starters have very little experience racing. The entry from trainer Jean Francis Maguire looms as the toughest in the race. Cleveland Massino (post 1) has Jean Francis Maguire in the sulky and Royalty Beer (post 3) looms the toughest in the race, timed in 2:02 at Mohawk Hawk in a tough loss in the Grassroots Stakes.

Local favorite Jello Shot (post 2) with Marc Belanger in the sulky has been second in his two starts. Another contender will be Kenogami Rebel (post 4) for driver Stephane Brosseau.

The Hippodrome 3R has a ten-race card set to start at 4:00 pm Friday and another feature for the racing fans will be the second race Preferred-Handicap Mares Pace.

Jans Legacy (post 7) is the early favorite for driver Stephane Brosseau. She sports three wins this season, all at H3R, the fastest a 1:57.3 mile.

Other standouts include Topsill Beach (post 8), Kiss Me Bad (Post 4) and moving up in class off a 1:58.3 triumph is Buckingham (post 1).

Coming up on Sunday at H3R is the opening round of the Future Stars Series for two-year-old pacing colts and fillies with two divisions. New post time on Sunday is 12:10 pm.

For a free racing program, please visit www.hippodrome3r.ca.

From the Quebec Jockey Club