Bucketlist Hanover winning in 156.1 at 3R. (Thephotodesk.ca photo)
Hippodrome 3R on the action this weekend
At 0h06, on June 19, 2021 • By NEWSROOM/JERRY CONNORS JR.
Again this week the Hippodrome 3R will not be staging a Friday program, but will be hosting action under the auspices of the Quebec Regional Circuit on Saturday at 1 p.m. The regular Sunday program will follow the next day at 12:30 p.m.
The Quebec Regional Circuit is a group of ten “racetracks,” usually training centers, throughout the province, which brings local participants, including many amateurs, the chance to race on their “home turf.” Because of COVID, Regional Circuit racing was limited to four cards at Hippodrome 3R in 2020, and this will be the second stop for the Circuit at 3R in 2021; it is hoped that the trouble the virus has caused may diminish, and that there still may be a few “local” stops in 2021.
On Saturday there will be two contests for amateur drivers: one for females (conductrices) and one for males (conducteurs). There will also be races for the new-to-the-racetrack two-year-olds, once for each gait, with Crazy Lilly (trot) and Girl Scout Cookie (pace), both fillies, looking to build on seconds in their debuts last week.
Sunday’s top race will be the $5500 Preferred 1 – Preferred 2 handicap trot, with four-time Quebec-bred series champion Capteur De Reve making his second start of the year. However, the horse to beat will be Bucketlist Hanover, whose 1:56.1 victory here on June 6 (photo attached) came within one-fifth of a second of tying the all-age mark for trotters at 3R, co-held by Pablo Angus and Michaelangelo.
There will also be a $4500 Preferred 2 – Preferred 3 handicap pace for fillies and mares. Topsill Beach is rated the early favorite; longshot players may fancy D GS Fairystars, who paid $56.70 for a $2 win ticket while victorious here on June 4. (Ironically, the only horse to pay more to win locally in 2021, May 28’s $86.40 bomber Archimed Alpha, starts in the very next race after this one.)
Pascal Berube has had the hot hands early in the meet at 3R, winning at a 24% clip, and leads all drivers in wins, followed by perennial top teamster Stephane Brosseau and the exciting newcomer Samuel Fillion. Trainer Sylvain Tremblay has been even hotter out of the gate and leads all trainers in victories while clicking at an amazing 47% win rate. All of these horsemen will be in action at 3R this weekend.
