Stakes season gets underway at Hippodrome 3R

The 2024 harness racing stakes season at the Hippodrome 3R (H3R) in Quebec gets underway Friday (July 12) with the opening round of the Breeders Trophy Series for three-year-old trotters.

There will be three divisions Friday of the series that features three preliminary rounds and then the $65,000 finals for both the fillies and colts on Sunday, September 8.

The colts and geldings are split into two $7,500 opening round divisions with Wild Dream Men (Kadabra) headlining the 4^th race first division for driver Guy Gagnon.

Last season Wild Dream Men was a tough competitor in the Future Stars Series at H3R, making a costly break at the start in the $55,000 final and still able to rebound and finish second.

Now Wild Dream Men returns to H3R off a nose triumph last week at Rideau Carleton in a lifetime best 1:58.4 for owners Catheline Pelletier and Chantal Gravel.

There are two other return winners in the race. Captain PV (Wheeling N Dealin) from post five has won his last two starts at H3R in 2:00 and 2:00.3. He will be driven by Marie-Claude Auger for trainer Serge Nadeau, who co-owns the colt with Y Corrivrau.

Last Try (My MVP) in post two for owner, breeder, trainer and driver Jerome Lombart, is coming off wiring the field at H3R last week to score his first win in 2:01.3.

The 7^th race second colt division features a tough group of young trotters with Hercules (Lookslikeachpndale) from post two coming into the race with three wins already this season for driver Stephane Brosseau and trainer Maxime Velaye, the fastest in 1:59.3 at Rideau Carleton for owner-breeder Ecurie Provoquante.

Other contenders in the race include Paradise Moni (post 1) for driver Pascal Berube, Ontario newcomer HP Run Detector (post 3) with Robert Shepherd in the bike and Drinklikehenry (post 4) for driver William Roy.

The trotting fillies do battle in the 5^th race with one division racing for a purse of $10,000. Featured is Sensi Amnesia (Muscle Mass) from post five for trainer-driver Marie-Claude Auger.

Last year she was the winner of the $55,000 Future Stars finale at H3R.

Sensi Amnesia comes into the race getting nosed out in her last start at Rideau Carleton in 1:58.4. She was bred by Auger, who co-owns the filly with Catheline Pelletier.

Other contenders include JD Beauty (post 1) for driver Francis Picard, Cleomax Duharas (post 7) with driver Stephane Brosseau and All She Wrote (post 5) for driver Jocelyn Gendron.

It’s also trotting day at H3R Friday with six of the ten races trotting events. The 6^th race Preferred-Handicap Trot features recent winners X O X O (post 7), Only For Justice (post 8) and That’s Hooligan (post 6).

First race post time on Friday is 4:00 pm. For more information and free race programs, visit here.

by Steve Wolf, for the Quebec Jockey Club