Berube wins 5th driving title; Simoneau 1st training title

At 11:15 am on Sunday (Nov. 3) before the start of the final live harness racing program of the season at the Hippodrome 3R (H3R), two special presentations will be made in the winner’s circle to the leading driver and trainer of the 2024 race meet.

Pascal Berube, from Portneu, Quebec, will be awarded with his fifth straight driving title at H3R, while Marc-Andre Simoneau has nabbed his first ever training title at the track.

Both men have already wrapped up their respective titles going into Sunday’s final day of the race meet. Berube has 72 wins, 20 more than Marie-Claude Auger who is at 52 wins. Simoneau has 28 wins from his stable while rival David Pilon has 23 wins but does not have any horses entered at H3R Sunday.

Did Berube ever think he could win the driving title at H3R for five straight years?

“At the beginning five-years ago,” Berube explained. “I did not believe I would win all these years in a row. I must admit that I strongly believe in myself. I do not compare myself to the best on the planet, but I believe that if I had the chance to drive on another track with competitive horses, I would surely be able to do my job too.

“I love winning races,” Berube added. The satisfaction of winning is that when you arrive at the winner’s circle and see owners, the trainer and groom all happy it is a great pleasure?

Which of the five seasons was the best for Berube?

“It is certain that my season of 102 victories (2022) was quite special.” Berube explained. “And in hindsight I must admit that it is really good. This year I passed 70 victories, and I must tell myself that it is still a super beautiful success. I feel lucky to have trainers who trust me week after week. Because being a catch driver you are a bit at the mercy of your success with the trainers.

“I want to thank all of the owners and trainers that have had faith in my abilities,” Berube added. If not for them I would not be able to drive so many winners.”

Berube is listed to drive in eight of the 12 races Sunday at H3R. After closing day at H3R he will then continue driving at Rideau Carleton Raceway where he is currently in second place in the driver standings with 79 wins and an impressive Universal Driving Rating of .341. His UDR for the season at H3R was even higher at .385.
“After Sunday’s closing day card,” Berube said. “I will continue racing at Rideau, maybe a few visits to Toronto for a drive on occasion, you never know. Maybe I just take the time and rest up for next season. I will follow the direction of the wind.”

Trois-Rivieres resident, Marc-Andre Simoneau, is having one of his best seasons at the races. He has three horses entered Sunday but already wrapped up his first training title at H3R with 28 wins. In second place is David Pilon with 23 wins, but he does not have a horse entered Sunday.

“I think this is one of my best years ever racing,” Simoneau said. “Not only winning the training title at H3R, but I am also having a great season at Rideau Carleton too.”

Currently Simoneau Universal Training Rating at H3R is a very impressive .405 and at Rideau he is currently in sixth place in the training standings with a UTRS of .384 with 22 wins.

“Part of my success is having Pascal Berube drive my horses when he can.” Simoneau explained. “It’s a plus for me when he drives my horses, and it is a plus for him too.

“After H3R closes Sunday, I will still race at Rideau,” Simoneau said.” But I also hope to race some of the better horses at Mohawk Park.”

Some of the better horses in the Simoneau Stable include eight-time winner Light The Torch (Always B Miki), who goes from post five Sunday at H3R in the $6,500 Preferred Pace and Simoneau’s pride and joy, the three-year-old trotting filly, Cleomax Duharas (Muscle Mass).

Unraced at age two, Cleomax Duharas has made up for lost time with seven wins this season. She also won the $65,000 Quebec Championship Final at H3R and has a record of 1:56.

“Light The Torch and Cleomax Duharas would be my two stars from my stable this year,” Simoneau explained. “Especially Cleomax Duharas as she won for me my first Quebec Championship Final.”

Perhaps the most special horse in his stable is Joltin Joe (Riverboard King), an eight-year-old gelding that has five wins, three in his last four starts at H3R. He races Sunday in the first race with Berube in the sulky.

“My 15-year-old daughter, Mary-Lee Simoneau, owns Joltin Joe,” Simoneau explained. “I actually purchased her a three-year-old pacer back in April for her birthday. But he was no good, so we sold him on OnGait. I then bought her Joltin Joe from the Amish as he was going to Vancouver and got him for the Amish price.

“He had not won a race since 2021,” Simoneau continued. “And my daughter, she has been with horses since she was born and every day after school she is in the stable with my wife, Wendy St. Pierre, helping in the stable and they worked hard on Joltin Joe and he has come back very well. It’s a family thing and Mary-Lee also paddocks on race day with her mom.”

Another standout for Simoneau is the two-year-old pacing filly, Simply The Best (All Bets Off) who won five of her ten starts, nine of those starts on the board. She closed out her 2024 on a three-race win streak, including a victory in the Lucien Bombardier Pace at H3R and she has a record of 1:57.4.

“We have a good stable of young horses,” Simoneau explained. “Light The Torch is only 4, Cleomax Durhas is just 3 and they fit in well at the barn with our older horses. We have a pretty healthy barn right now and I am very happy with that. And then this year, we have already purchased four babies to train for next season, so I am looking forward to that.”

During the race card Sunday there will be three special presentations made to retiring horses.
Of the three venerable pacers, PL Gyro is the one who still races week after week. We will even see him at work one last time in the 4th race, where he is the second choice in the race.

Another retiree is Gina Bragagnolo’s Windsun Cheyenne, who has made his mark with us by winning a significant share of victories. He is also in the record books for having crossed the mile and a half race in 2.58.1 on August 27, 2017, with Stéphane Brosseau at the guides. He retires with a generous bank account of more than $230,000.

The third hero of this day is the pacer SOS Mach Xtreme of the couple Michel Audet and Roxanne Viau. She won many races on the Regional Fair Circuit. H3R, through its marketing director, will give each team a cooling blanket. Windsun Cheyenne will be celebrated after the 2nd race, PL Gyro after the 4th and SOS Mach Xtreme after the 8th race.

Sunday is also Fan Appreciation Day at H3R with free race programs, food and beverage discounts, drawings for $50 betting vouchers and more.

Post time is 12:00 noon Sunday with the special leading driver and trainer presentation beginning at 11:15 am. For more information and a free race program, visit here.

by Steve Wolf, for the Quebec Jockey Club