Three Quebec-Series Finals Sunday at Hippodrome 3R

After three weeks of preliminary round action, there will be three $30,000 harness racing finals of the Quebec-Bred Series for older pacers and trotters at the Hippodrome 3R Sunday (July 9).

The trotters are in the limelight first on the 11-race card on Sunday. The 4^th race features two unique challengers in Frido PV (Muscle Mass) and Capteur De Reve (Muscle Mass).

Frido PV (post 6) is the 5/2 favorite despite making a costly break at the start two weeks ago. Prior to his miscue, the six-year-old stallion was on a three-race win streak and had won five of his six starts so far in 2023. He will be driven by regular pilot Jonathan Lachance.

Capteur De Reve (post 7) is going for an unpresented fifth Quebec Championship Final. The nine-year-old gelding, trained by Maxime Velaye for the Provoquante Stable, who owns and bred the horse, won the Championship Finals in 2016 (age 2), 2017 (age 3), 2018 (age 4) and 2019 (age 5).

The series for four-year-old and older horses was discontinued until 2023, otherwise we could assume Capteur De Reve may have won additional finals. Only Atomic Million AM on the pacing side has also won four titles.

Other contenders in the race include Orlys Pride (post 2), who won two of the three preliminary rounds for driver Jocelyn Gendon and Stella Alpha (post 1), the lone mare in the field.

A real slugfest is in store in the 8^th race final for older pacing mares in the 8^th race where Celia Bayama (Bettors Delight) takes on Kiss Me Bad (Badlands Hanover).

Celia Bayama (post 1) was second in the first round of the series, was scratched from the second round and then rebounded to wire the field in the third round with an impressive 1:56.2 victory for driver Stephane Brosseau.

Kiss Me Bad (post 6) won her first two rounds of the series for owner-trainer-driver Steven Gagnon and in the third round, despite being parked out first-over, came up just a half a length short to Celia Bayama. Those two should be locking horns once again in the final.

Other contenders include Platine Alpha (post 5) and Lili GL (post 2).

The 10^th race sees the return of The Light Speed (Moon Beam) going against Aladdin (Shadow Play) and D Gs De Vito (Sportswriter).

All three contenders have won a preliminary round division. The Light Speed (post 7) has been sensational for trainer-driver Guy Gagnon this season, entering the final on a two-race win streak. He has also won seven of his last ten starts, the fastest a 1:51.1 lifetime mark at Rideau Carleton Raceway.

Aladdin (post 6) was able to beat The Light Speed in the opening round of the series with a 1:54.2 triumph, the fastest winning time at H3R this season. Then in the second round he lost to The Light Speed and in the last prelim round, lost to D Gs De Vito.

D Gs De Vito (post 1) was unable to hit the board in his first two tries against both The Light Speed and Aladdin, but in his last start he was able to regroup for driver Jonathan Lachance and won with a wire-to-wire 1:55.1 triumph.

First race post time on Sunday is 12:00 noon. For a free race program, visit here.

by Steve Wolf, for the Quebec Jockey Club