Royalty Beer back at H3R for top trot

Trois-Rivieres, QC – Royalty Beer (Royalty For Life), who two starts back at the Hippodrome 3R scored a lifetime best 1:59.2 triumph, returns to Quebec for the Preferred Trotting harness racing feature on Friday (June 17).

In his last start, owner-trainer Jean-Francois Maguire took Royalty Beer to Ontario to try his luck in a $22,000 Ontario Sire Stakes Grassroots contest at Grand River Raceway.

Starting from the far outside in post eight with Louis-Philippe Roy in the sulky, they left hard and made the lead, cut the mile to the half, then was second at the three-quarters and then faded badly in the stretch to be seventh. The race went in 1:58.4.

Now back at H3R, Royalty Beer will have to try his luck from the second tier has he drew post 9 in the 6^th race feature. He will be driven by Kevin Maguire and despite having to start behind on of the horses on the starting gate, he has been made the morning line favorite.

His main rival will be one of only two mares in the nine-horse field, Laa Dee Gaa (Googoo Gaagaa), who goes from post 5 for driver Stephane Brosseau.

Laa Dee Gaa is a four-year-old mare, who is trained and owned by Carl Duguay of Trois-Rivieres. In her last start she was second to the top mare X O X O in 2:00.4. Two starts back she was a winner at H3R, scoring a lifetime best 2:00.4 romp.

There is an entry in the race, Stella Alpha (Royalty For Life, post 4) and Archimed Alpha (Royalty For Life, post 7). Stella Alpha, the other filly (she is only age 3), will be driven by Pascal Berube. She was the Quebec Bred Champion last season at age 2 and already has four wins this year for trainer Sylvain Tremblay, who’s Alpha Stable bred and owns the filly.

Archimed Alpha will be driven by Kiwon Waldron and just qualified last week at H3R, distancing the field in a romp. He is a four-year-old.

The live race card gets underway at 4:00 pm Friday. For a free race program, click here. H3R also has live racing on Sunday beginning at 12:00 noon. Featured will be Preferred events for both the mares and the horses.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Steve Wolf, for the Quebec Jockey Club