The final preliminary round for the $300,000 Quebec-Bred Series for two-year-old trotters and pacers takes place Sunday at the Hippodrome 3R with four $7,500 divisions.
After Sunday, the top eight point earners in the series will return to 3R on Sunday, September 7 for the $55,000 finals. Also on that day will be the $65,000 finals in the series for three-year-olds, making for eight championship finals on the race program.
The first race features two-year-old trotting fillies and one colt in the field. Because an insufficient number of colts were entered, they have been split and will race against the fillies this week.
The 5-2 morning line favourite is a filly, C L Magic Road, who starts from post five for driver Marie Auger. A winner in two of her four starts, the daughter of Holiday Road was a game second last week when National Trace set the track record at 3R.
Other contenders in the field include SOS Harddrive (post three), Chamane (post two) and D Espoir (post six).
The second division for trotters is the third race and featured is 3R’s newest track record holders, Meganou and National Trace. Both fillies set erased a 21-year-old record with their identical 2:03.2 victories last week.
Meganou starts from post two and she was most impressive for driver Jocelyn Gendron last week, wiring the field and scoring a romp by eight and one-half lengths. It was her second win this year and a lifetime mark.
National Trace goes from post four for diver Denis St Pierre and last week she also wired the field, winning by three-quarters of a length. It was her first pari-mutuel win, but not her lifetime mark. She won a baby race earlier this season at Mohawk Racetrack in 2:01.
There are three male rivals in the field who all may be contenders in Champagne Panic, Intouchable and Promesses Imperial, along with the filly Sunrise Linda, making for quite a strong field.
The two-year-old pacing colts get underway in the second race with return winner Sugarsam heading the field from post three for driver Denis St Pierre. Last week the son of Sportswriter upset the field at odds of 16-1, winning from post eight in a lifetime-best clocking of 1:56.4.
He will be challenged by recent winners Half A Billion, Clinton Panic and Western Bayama.
The pacing fillies see action in the fourth race with a full field of nine starters featuring Anna Santanna. Last week in a classic match-up and dramatic finish, Anna Santanna lost by just a neck to Kinnder Elegance in a track record time of 1:57.4. The erased a 25-year-old track record at 3R. Sired by Santanna Blue Chip, Anna Santanna starts from post four for driver Marie Auger and in her five starts this year she has yet to finish worse than third.
Other contenders in the field include Miss Bro, My Fleet Time and First Girl.
To view Sunday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Sunday Entries - Hippodrome 3R.
(QJC)