This Sunday, October 6, the Quebec Jockey Club at the Hippodrome 3R (H3R) will pay homage to two great men who helped develop harness racing both in Quebec and Canada during their careers. They are Brian Paquet and Lucien Bombardier.
Both men will each have two stakes’ races named in their memory on Sunday.
Paquet, an industry leader in Quebec and Canada, was a former director of the QJC, a prominent owner and breeder and he also spent time serving as an industry leader with terms on the Board of the Canadian Standardbred Horse Society for decades including terms as Vice President. He then also served on the Board of Standardbred Canada, with terms as the Vice President while also sitting on the executive committee for several years.
He was also on the Board of the Quebec Jockey Club as well as the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame’s Election Committee. Paquet passed away August 20, 2023.
His two races are the 10th and 11th on Sunday. The 10th race $51,000 division for older horses features a tough group headlined by last year’s inaugural Paquet Memorial, Cadillac Bayama, who won in 1:52. Other top contenders include Jack Panic (post 7), Fortify (post 5), The Light Speed (post 2) and Light The Torch (post 1).
Then in the 11th race the pacing mares do battle in the $51,000 Paquet Memorial. YS Sensationalcity, who was second in the inaugural Paquet last year goes as the race favorite from post six and sports eight wins this year.
Also entered are top mares Jimbelina (post 3), Annas Wish (post 5) and One More Bet (post 1).
Lucien Bombardier marked the history of trotting and pacing in Quebec in his own way, and especially in his last role as manager of the famous Angus farm. Even though his career took place entirely in the last century, the influence of his high-quality breeding is still felt some 30 years after his death.
This gentleman has held over the years just about every important function in the industry, and as such, he can really be considered a builder: by turns he was a driver, trainer, then executive for Blue Bonnets Raceway, he left his mark having worked there for 25 years in addition to serving on multiple industry boards and committees. Bombardier has obviously been a member of the Canadian Racing Hall of Fame since 1986.
The race was developed and is co-sponsored by Standardbred Canada and the Quebec Jockey Club.
There are two $15,100 divisions of the Lucien Bombardier Pace for two-year-old fillies Sunday.
The 4th race first division is headlined by Silver Majesty (post 1) for driver Denis St Pierre. She has been first or second in her last six starts, all at H3R. Othe contenders include Justine Ray (post 2) and Mystic Moment (post 3).
The 6th race second division sees local favorite Simply The Best (post 4) going for her third straight win. Also in the field is Ontario newcomer Jenny Longlegs (post 3) and recent Quebec Championship Final winner Mirabel Enfete (post 1).
Louis-Philippe Roy, who last year won all three stakes on this date, returns again and will drive in 10 of the 12 races on the program.
H3R will have a special Saturday 11-race card tomorrow (Oct. 5) featuring the 2024 finals of the Quebec Regional Fair Circuit.
Post time Saturday is 1:00 pm and post time Sunday is 12:00 noon. For more information and free race programs, visit here.
by Steve Wolf, for the Quebec Jockey Club