from the Quebec Jockey Club

Trois-Rivieres, PQ — This Sunday (Nov. 12) is the 40th and final live harness racing program of the 2017 season at the Hippodrome 3R and it looks very positive for driver Stephane Brosseau and trainer Francis Richard to respectively win their first leading driver and trainer honors.

Brosseau, from L’Assomption, had led the driver colony throughout most of the season, holds a 51 to 46 win lead over rival Stephane Gendron, and as many of us know all too well, you never know what can happened on closing day.

thephotodesk.ca photo

Leading driver Brousseau (left) with leading trainer Richard (right).

Gendron needs five wins to tie Brosseau, but in the tale of the tape, Brosseau has a very big edge. He has drives in nine of the ten races on program. Gendron has only seven drives. Brosseau is listed on four race favorites, Gendron just one. This title could well be decided before midway through the race card.

As for Richard, it has become a breakthrough season for the 27-year-old from Cambridge who has held a trainer’s license only since 2009. He holds a seven-win lead over Yves Tessier, 26 to 19. Tessier has four entered on Sunday, Richard has two entered and thus there is no way can Tessier catch Richard.

When he was just age 18, Richard left Quebec to go Ontario to learn to become a trainer and learn he did working for David Menary, a dominant force on the WEG circuit. He stayed for five years and learned his trade well.

“I must credit the trust of the owners who have supported me,” Richard said. “Especially in the beginning as it was Brian Paquet who helped set the tone for my future. I owe Brian a lot, he really gave me my first chance, and still today, he supports me by sending me his young horses, it’s a spinning wheel. I think because of my success with Brian Paquet. It helped also attracted others owners and during the last year there have been many including ICR Racing, brothers Desrochers, MM Letarte and Allaire, John Bradbury, Steve Perreault, SOS farm, Carole Lévesque, all these people, each in their own way supported and have given me a chance.

“Every victory this season has its special meaning,” he continued. “All of them are important, from a victory at the Breeders’ Cup Final to a ‘maiden’, these are all beautiful moments. I have a hard time separating all of this, and in this business, it’s the win that counts the most and the progress of a particular horse.”

On the racetrack Sunday, Lucky Promesses, the winningest horse this season at H3R, will try for her 11th victory of the year with eight wins coming at her home track for owner, breeder, driver Jerome Lombart of Bromont.

The 4-year-old mare by Lucky Fool starts from post two in the sixth race co-feature trot for trainer Andreane Lapierre and faces a tough task going against another top mare, Torches Angel (Stephane Brosseau) in post seven, who ships in off a 1:58 triumph at Rideau Carleton, along with Ice O Late (Sylvain Lacaille), a 1:59 winner last out.

In the co-featured eighth race pace there are two strong return winners who are conditioned by the top trainers this year.

Mister Big Top ships home from Rideau for trainer Yves Tessier after scoring a 1:56 triumph, his eighth victory of the year. He starts from post six for driver Stephane Gendron.

Trainer Richard sends out Matts Phil from post three with Pierre Luc Roy in the sulky. Last week at H3R Matts Phil posted his seventh win of the year, wiring the field in 1:58.4.

Other contenders in the field include D Gs Machbeach (post one), return winner After Market (post two) and Arazi (post five).

In honor of the closing day of the race season the first 500 fans to come to the track will get a free race program. There will also be free drawings to win t-shirts and hockey tickets plus free coffee and hot chocolate and two for one hot dog specials.

First race post time Sunday is 12:30 pm. For a free race program, visit www.quebecjockeyclub.com.