from the Quebec Jockey Club

Trois-Rivieres, PQ — This Sunday (July 17) track management at the Hippodrome 3R marks the 25th anniversary of the victory by Maxou in the Trois-Rivieres Pace with a special appearance by the pacer after the sixth race on the program.

It was back on July 16, 1991 that the 2-year-old Quebec-bred pacer won the Trois-Rivieres Pace, which was the signature race of the early 1990s at the Hippodrome 3R. He had won the $122,850 race in 2:00.1.

Photo courtesy of 3R

Maxou and Mario Charron pose for the camera in this 1991 photo.

On hand to bring Maxou on the track to meet the race fans will be his owner/breeder, Roger St-Germain, along with his former trainer, Jean-Paul Charron and his son and Maxou’s driver, Mario Charron.

Maxou, a son of Flight Of Fire out of the mare Lilith Lobell, finished his career after his 3-year-old season with a record of 17-2-1 in 25 starts and career earnings of $271,357.

As a 2-year-old he amassed an impressive record of 11 wins in just 13 starts. Besides the Trois-Rivieres Pace at age 2, he also won the Quebec Breeders Cup at age 3 in a personal best 1:54.4 on Blue Bonnets’ five-eighths-mile track in Montreal, capping that season with six wins in 12 starts.

“He was an amazing horse from when he was foaled,” said owner/breeder Roger St. Germain of St-Hyacinthe, Quebec. “I purchased the mare at the Meadowlands and bred her first to Boomer Drummond and then to Flight Of Fire and Maxou was her second foal. Then to win $271,000 back in the early 1990s was very big money. So I said that when he was done racing, Maxou would have a very good retirement for the rest of his life.”

Maxou is also the half-brother of Shore By Five (1:50.4-$603,399); Lilith Fair (1:53.1s-$322,201), Kievbell (1:53.3s-$202,153) and Patrika (1:54.1-$208,267).

“After his victory in the Trois-Rivieres Pace,” St. Germain explained, “we noticed that he had a little problem with his leg. Jean-Paul and Mario Charron made sure we got him the best care and treatment we could. Still the veterinarians said he may not race at age three and the leg would be very questionable. But as we see now, he came back well and raced great at age three, but after that season he would not race anymore.”

After leaving the racetrack, Maxou served briefly as a teaser at Blue Chip Farm in New York, where he was raised, before being gelded and returning to Quebec and becoming a riding horse for the St. Germain family.

The highlight of the presentation will be the presence of the horse Maxou, now age 27, as he will make a last hurrah to the public on the racetrack with his former driver Mario Charron.

“It’s very rare that you see a horse come back 25 years after winning a major stake. I think it’ll bring back memories, not just for myself but for the industry in Quebec,” said St. Germain.

St. Germain also made a DVD of the Trois-Riveres Pace won by Maxou in 1991 and the race will be shown to the fans at 3R Sunday.

“This will most likely be his last appearance for the public.” St. Germain added. “And how many times do you get to see a great racehorse at age 27? He will continue to have a very happy retirement and I look forward to this special tribute at 3R Sunday.”