from the Quebec Jockey Club

Trois-Rivieres, QC — She’s so good, she has to compete against male rivals. That’s the story of Rainbow Palace. The lone mare taking on the boys in the third race feature pace at the Hippodrome 3R on Sunday (July 1).

She was voted the top-class performer at H3R last year with seven wins, all against male rivals. And this year she is doing the same again, two wins, two seconds, one third in just six starts.

Rainbow Palace goes from post four Sunday for owner and driver Francis Picard. His brother, Dominique, is the trainer. She is listed as the 3-1 second choice in the morning line.

The fastest mile of the year at H3R is 1:55 and it is held by six horses, Rocky Boy, National Debt, Mister Big Top, Hooter Shooter, Washington Park and, of course, Rainbow Palace.

Last week the 6-year-old mare by Royal Mattjesty was second to Jann And Dean, the week prior, she won in 1:55.2. She does her best racing when on the lead or near it and seems to thrive when having to race first-over too.

This week the favorite in the feature race is Ufdragons Rocket from the far outside in post eight for driver Pierre Luc Roy. This 9-year-old by Dragon Again ships to H3R from Rideau Carleton off a pocket-trip 1:54.3 score, his sixth win of the year for trainer Yves Tessier.

Other contenders include the entry from owner/trainer Marc Andre Simoneau of Hooter Shooter (post two) and Pantheon Seelster (post seven) plus Windsun Cheyene, another newcomer from Rideau Carleton, who goes from post six.

In the seventh race pace, Requested, the 5-2 favorite starting from the rail post position, also driven by Francis Picard, can become the winningest horse so far in 2018 at H3R with four wins.

Track Notes: Saturday night, Kawartha Downs hosts the Regional Drivers’ Championship for Eastern Ontario and Quebec. Eight representatives will fight it out, four from Rideau Carleton, two from Kawartha Downs and two from H3R. They are Stéphane Brosseau and Stéphane Gendron, our two leading drivers this season and last year.

The tournament features six races, and in addition to H3R’s two representatives, other H3R drivers include Richard Simard, Guy Gagnon and Jonathan Lachance.

On Tuesday evening at H3R, the sensational 3-year-old Sportwriter filly All You Can Dream returns after last week’s amazing 1:56 mile in her first pari-mutuel start. Post time is 6:30 p.m.

For more information, visit www.quebecjockeyclub.com.