Hippodrome 3R: Champions to battle on opening day

What better way to start off the harness racing season than to have two champion trotters face each other in the very first race of the 2022 season at the Hippodrome 3R on Sunday, May 1?

The new Sunday post time is noon for the start of the 40-day race meet, and race fans will be allowed to attend the meet with no COVID-19 restrictions. Friday racing at H3R starts June 3 at 4:00 p.m.

The action gets heated up right away in the first race trot as Quebec-bred champions from 2021, Stella Alpha (post two) and Royalty Beer (post seven) face off for the first time.

Stella Alpha was last year's champion 2-year-old trotting filly from the Alpha Stable of owner, breeder and trainer Sylvain Tremblay, who was also the leading training at H3R last season. Already this season Stella Alpha has improved over last year, taking a lifetime mark in her first start with a 1:58 1/5 score at Rideau Carleton Raceway. She will be driven by Pascal Berube.

Royalty Beer was the 2021 Quebec-bred Champion at H3R, sweeping the entire series and the $50,000 final for the Maguire Stable of Saints-Marie. He won four of five starts overall in 2021 and Sunday will be his first start of the year for driver Kevin Maguire.

Both Stella Alpha and Royalty Beer are sired by Royalty For Life.

The race favorite in the first is Laa Dee Gaa. This 4-year-old mare by Googoo Gaagaa is coming off a 1:58 3/5 score at Rideau for owner-trainer Carl Duguay and will be driven by Stephane Brosseau.

Then, in the third race Preferred-Handicap Mares Pace, Platine Alpha, the winningest horse of the year in 2021 at H3R, starts from post four for driver Jimmy Gagnon. She won nine times in 2021, eight of those wins at H3R.

Her main rival will be Erikas Shadow from post five for driver Pascal Berube. She has won two of her last three starts at Rideau, the fastest a 1:54 2/5 score for trainer Yves Tessier.

Another Quebec champion from 2021, Hall Win, the top 3-year-old trotter last year, takes on the tough mare XOXO in the sixth race Preferred-Handicap Trot.

Hall Win (post six) won six times last year. This is his first start of 2022 for the Maguire Stable. Kevin Maguire will be in the sulky.

XOXO is the top homebred for owner-driver Jerome Lombart. She is also making her first start of the year off a 2:03 qualifying race win at H3R last week. Last year she won seven times, all at H3R.

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The seventh race Preferred Pace features H3R rivals D Gs De Vito (post one), Hooter Shooter (post two), and Dreydl Hanover (post four).

First race post time Sunday is 12:00 noon.

--press release (Quebec Jockey Club)--