Two-year-olds in Hippodrome 3R limelight

This Sunday, September 22, the spotlight at the Hippodrome 3R’s (H3R) 10-race card in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec is highlighted by a number of classic matchups, including a special two-year-old Open Pace for the harness racing fillies.

Coming up on Sunday, October 6 at H3R will be the annual Lucien Bombardier Pace for two-year-old fillies and most of the fillies in this Sunday’s Open are eligible for the big stakes event.

The 5^th race feature for a purse of $5,000 sees race favorite Silver Majesty (All Bets Off) from post four for driver Denis St Pierre.

The Jean-Francois Maguire trainee was on a three-race winning streak coming into the $55,000 Final for the Future Stars Series at H3R and despite a tough first-over trip, was still a game second at the finish in 1:59.1.

Another favorite for the upcoming Bombardier Pace is Mystic Moment (Control The Moment) for driver Marie-Claude Auger starting from post seven. A $7,000 yearling purchase by co-owner and trainer Dany Mainguy, Mystic Moment enters on a two-race winning streak, the fastest a 1:59.4 triumph two starts back at Rideau Carleton and the prior week she came to H3R where she romped by four and one-half lengths in 2:00.3.

Other contenders include Simply The Best (post 2) and newcomer from Ontario, TJ Bliss (post 5), who sports a record win of 1:56.2 at Georgia Downs.

The H3R card then features a $6,000 Quebec-Bred three-year-old pace. HP Game On (McWicked) heads the field from post six for driver Marie-Claude Auger. Two starts back he was parked the mile and still came on to win in a lifetime best 1:58.1. He faces Foiled Dragon (Fear The Dragon), who wired the field last start in 1:57, but is saddled with starting from the far outside in post eight for driver Jocelyn Gendron.

The mares battle it out in the 9^th race Preferred Pace with return winners Beauty Is Blind (post 6) and Mach N Blue Cheese (post 2) taking on the good mare Jimbelina (post 7), who returns to H3R after competing in a pop-up series at Mohawk Park where she won an opening round in 1:53.2.

The tenth and final race on the card for older pacers features three return winners that will do battle. They are Uncontrollable (post 9) who returns off a sizzling 1:53.4 romp by eight and one-quarter lengths, Little Diamond (post 7) was parked the mile last week and still won in 1:56.2 and Ritchie Alpha (post 5) won in 1:55.2, also in a romp by more than eight lengths.

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

by Steve Wolf, for the Quebec Jockey Club