$500,000 Super Sunday next at Hippodrome 3R

Trois-Rivieres, QC – There is more than $500,000 in purses up for grabs as the Hippodrome 3R hosts its Super Sunday (Sept. 11) Quebec-bred Championship Finals for two and three-year-old harness racing trotters and pacers.

The big race day has drawn world-class drivers Daniel Dube and Louis-Philippe Roy back home to compete in the 12-race program that gets underway at 12:00 noon.

Dube has nine drives while Roy has eleven races that he is driving in.

Here is a brief synopsis of the eight finals.

2nd Race $55,000 Two-year-old trotting fillies

HP Run For Dan (Alarm Detector) is the favorite from post one for driver Robert Shepherd. She has only one win in the series and can wire the field provided she stays on stride. Kenogami Courage (Lookslikeachpndale) and driver Stephane Brosseau always stays on stride and has a mark of 2:02.1 but must overcome starting from post 8.

4th Race $65,000 Three-year-old trotting colts

It may be a short field of only five starters, but four of them all have a shot at winning. The entry of Royalty Beer (Royalty For Life) and Cleveland Massimo (Muscle Mass) will be tough to beat. Royalty Beer (Post 1) is last year’s returning champion and has LPR in the sulky. He has a record in the series of 1:58.4. Cleveland Massimo (Post 4) will be driven by Robert Shepherd and has four wins this year, the fastest a lifetime mark of 1:59.3. Also, a contender is Kenogami Rebel (Post 2) for Stephane Brosseau with a record this year of 1:57.1.

6th Race $65,000 Three-year-old trotting fillies

Returning champion last year and the “Princess of Trot” at H3R this year, Stella Alpha (Royalty For Life) has been superb this season. Her eight wins, seven at H3R, is the most by any horse this season. She has a track record of 1:58 and goes from post 2 Sunday for driver Pascal Berube. Her main rival will be HP Felicity (Muscle Mass) from post five for driver Robert Shepherd. She has three seconds in a row and one of those seconds was a loss to Stella Alpha in the series.

7th Race $55,000 Two-year-old pacing colts

Until last week’s loss to older horses, Little Diamond (Sportswriter) reeled off four straight wins and looks to make a clean sweep of the series. He starts from post 3 for driver William Roy and has a record of 1:58.4. Despite being winless in six starts, Albert Alpha (He’s Watching) has five seconds in six lifetime starts for driver Pascal Berube. They go from post four.

8th Race $65,000 Three-year-old pacing fillies

This is one of the toughest divisions. Majo Sport Bella (Sportswriter) is the race favorite from post 2 for driver Jonathan Lachance. She has only three lifetime starts and has won two of them, the fastest in 1:59.3. Then there is Shes Rockandfame (He’s Watching) for LPR from the rail. She is coming off a 1:59.1 score and can win from on or off the pace. Other contenders include Got Charlie (Post 8) and Kinder Dirty Diana (Post 4).

9th race $55,000 Two-year-old trotting colts

Auguste (Bar Hopping) and Kinnder Thinktwice (Wheeling N Dealin) have been battling it out in the series and both have beaten each other twice this season. Sunday is where it really counts. Auguste (post 3) has been razor sharp for driver Pascal Berube with two wins in the series and three second place finishes in her last five starts, the fastest a 2:02 clocking.

Kinnder Thinktwice (post 1) has never finished off the board in her five starts with two wins (not in the series) for driver Stephane Brosseau and she has a record also of 2:02.

10th race $55,000 Two-year-old pacing fillies

Here is where Dube and Roy get to duke it out. Dube drives YS Poisson Davril (Sportswriter) from post 2. She has won two of her last three starts and last week uncorked a 1:58.4 lifetime mark.

Pocahontas Du Lac (Betterthancheddar) goes from post 6 with Roy in the bike. Roy bred the filly and co-owns it with his brother, Pierre-Luc Roy, who got the filly to the final driving her to two wins in the series. She has a record of 1:58.2.

The spoiler in the race could be Godiva Shadow Girl (Shadow Play) from post 3 for driver Robert Shepherd. She has won five of her six starts with a record of 1:58.2. Other contenders include YS Sensationalcity (Post 8), who is coming off a 2:01.1 triumph and All She Can (Post 1) for driver Samuel Fillion, who has been a game second in her last two starts.

11th race $65,000 Three-year-old pacing colts

Great finale of Super Sunday as Aladdin (Shadow Play) with LPR driving, draws post 8 and comes into the final on a three-race winning streak, the fastest a 1:54 mile last week at Rideau Carlton. Then there is Jack Panic (Sportswriter) from post 6 for driver Robert Shepherd. They have won two of his last three starts, the fastest a 1:56.4 romp by 11 and a quarter length at H3R.

In addition to the eight stakes races, the Quebec Jockey Club has also programmed three $10,000 Invitationals. The 3rd race for the trotters, the 5th race pace for the horses and the 12th race pace for the mares.

First race post time 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