It’s hard to believe, but in just three and a half weeks it will be time for the greatest race in recent Quebec harness racing history, the $250,000 Prix D’Ete.
The race is for the world’s standout four-year-old pacers, at the Hippodrome 3R in Trois Rivieres, Quebec, on Sunday, September 21.
The top eight seasonal money winners that declare in will be the starters for the main event, the $200,000 Prix D’Ete Championship. If enough other eligible horses declare in for the race, there will be a $50,000 consolation event. Preference will be by 2014 earnings as well for the consolation race.
The numbers next to the horses’ names below – listed in order by their current racing ‘sharpness’ – indicates where they stand as of August 25 in seasonal earnings among the 24 eligible (10 of which have earned $500,000+ lifetime, and 17 of which have won in their careers in sub-1:50 time).
MACH IT SO (2) – The most in-form horse at the present time, with wins in his last three starts. The fastest of those victories was a 1:48.2 victory at Pocono Downs on August 2, the same track where he dead-heated for the win with the classy free-for-all pacer Golden Receiver this past Saturday. The other win was in 1:51.2, at Yonkers Raceway, a half-mile track, just like Hippodrome 3R.
SUNFIRE BLUE CHIP (8) – Like all of the other horses trained by Jimmy Takter, Sunfire Blue Chip has been racing strongly, also winning his last three races – 1:50.2 at Yonkers on August 9; 1:50.3 at Saratoga seven days later (they’re both half-mile tracks); and last Sunday, a 1:50.2 triumph at Tioga Downs.
WORD POWER (4) – Wrote himself a shiny new mark at Pocono Downs two weeks ago when he edged the game veteran Sparky Mark by a head in 1:49.3.
CAPTIVE AUDIENCE (3) – Earned himself a spot in the prestigious Canadian Pacing Derby final this Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack. Before that he earned cheques in five straight Preferred events at the Toronto oval.
SUNSHINE BEACH (21) – After setting a world record in defeating Captaintreacherous last year, the locally-trained bay has but one win this year, although he has had awful luck at the post draws; in starts #2 through #5 this year, he had Post 6 in a field of seven; Post 9 in a nine-horse field; Post 8 in a 10-horse field; and Post 5 in a six-horse field.
APPRENTICE HANOVER (1) – Hot through May, but has tailed off since.
ROCKIN AMADEUS (9) – Another Takter-trained horse, Rockin Amadeus took a 1:48.3 mark at Pocono earlier.
WINDSONG JACK (6) – A Ron Burke-trained horse that has defeated good opposition at the Meadows and Scioto Downs.
MOONLITEONTHEBEACH (13) – Won right away at Yonkers Raceway after a recent purchase.
DUC DORLEANS (20) – He is the Hippodrome 3R all-age track record holder (1:52.4); and has five wins and 10-of-11 on-the-board finishes in his Hippodrome 3R career.
There will also be racing at the Hippodrome 3R on Saturday, September 20, thus making for a two-day Festival of Racing that will give local fans many samples of the best of harness racing, and many visitors a chance to see the countryside and the local landmarks.
(Quebec Jockey Club)
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