from the Quebec Jockey Club

Trois-Rivieres, PQ — National Debt, a top stakes contender at age 3 and 4, has resumed his winning ways once against and goes for his fourth straight win Sunday (Oct. 22) at the Hippodrome 3R in the Invitational Pace. It won’t be a walk in the park for the C$348,000 career winner as he has drawn the far outside and starts from post eight in the eighth race on H3R’s half-mile oval.

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National Debt, the outside, edges Crombie A at the finish.

Now age six, the gelded son of Allamerican Native, bred by Winbak Farm and owned by Francois Morin of Beauceville, is trained by Yves Tessier and will be driven by Stephane Gendron In his past two victories, National Debt has raced over sloppy tracks, but that has not hindered his performance, winning last week at Rideau Carleton in 1:55.1. Two starts back he won at H3R in 1:57.1

“He is a very good horse with a big heart,” said driver Stephane Gendron. “This Sunday’s race features many good horses. He will face a lot of traffic starting from the outside in post eight.

In all three of his prior wins, National Debt has won from off the pace and usually never leaves early, even from inside post positions.

“I think he can beat them on Sunday,” Gendron added. “It will all depend on how the race is run. In his first win of this streak, he paced the final quarter at Rideau in :27.4. As long as I can put him in the right spot, he will be very good in here.”

The race favorite is Quebec Champion Wildriverbumblebee, who was scratched sick at H3R back on Oct. 8. He has drawn post seven for driver Stephane Brosseau and is on a five-race winning streak for trainer Francis Richard and owner/breeder Dr. John Bradbury of Cookshire-Eaton.

The lone 3-year-old is going against older horses, but has had an amazing short season in 2017. He has only nine starts with seven wins. In his last start he won the C$50,000 Ontario Sire Stakes Grassroots Final at Mohawk Raceway in 1:52.1 and back on Sept. 11, took his lifetime mark with 1:51.2 triumph, also at Mohawk.

The third return winner in the field is Atomic Million AM, who starts from post nine in the second tier for driver Mario Charron. This three-time Quebec-Series Champion at age 2, 3 and 4, is on a two-race winning streak for owner/trainer/breeder Alain Martin of Gatineau, and is moving up in class to take on the best pacers at H3R.

Other contenders include Bali (post five) who has won two of his last three starts, Glass Shadow (post one), who two starts back won the Invitational at H3R and the lone mare in the field of nine, Rainbow Palace (post three), who has won this season at H3R in 1:54.3.

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