A record number of 40 four-year-old pacers have been nominated to the $200,000 sixth renewal of the Prix D'Ete at Hippodrome 3R in Quebec on Sunday, August 18.
In the sixth year of the revival of the Prix D’Ete, it has been a record number of nominees entered every year. Last year it was 38 horses nominated.
Headlining the list of nominees by money won last year is Little Brown Jug winner, Courtly Choice. The son of Art Major won $922,158 with a record mile of 1:47.1. He races for trainer Blake MacIntosh and co-owners Winbak Farm, Mac and Heim Stables, Daniel Plouffe, Inc. and Touch Stone Farms.
The Prix D'Ete was the most prestigious race in all of Canada from 1966 through 1992. World champions Bret Hanover, Albatross, Niatross, Hot Hitter, Cam Fella, On The Road Again, Ralph Hanover, Matts Scooter and a host of other top pacers have won the Prix D'Ete.
In the past five editions of the Prix D'Ete at 3R, the all-age track record was set and then tied as both Sunfire Blue Chip (2014) and All Bets Off (2015) both won in 1:50.3.
Then in 2016, U.S. Harness Horse of the Year, Wiggle It Jiggleit came to 3R for the Prix D'Ete and after a dramatic neck and neck battle the final half mile of the race, was second in an upset by Rockin Ron (1:52) over a sloppy track. Rockin Ron made it two straight Prix D’Ete victories for the Ron Burke Stable.
Trainer Jimmy Takter notched his second Prix D’Ete triumph in 2017 (Sunfire Blue Chip was the first), with Western Fame and driver Trevor Henry wiring the field in 1:53.2.
Last year it was the biggest upset in the Prix D’Ete as Beckhams Z Tam and driver Ricky Macomber paid $21.00 to win in 1:52.1.
"We are very pleased with the quality of the horses that have entered in this year's Prix D'Ete," said Claude Levesque, president of the Quebec Jockey Club. "Of the 40 pacers entered, just seven have lifetime earnings of under $100,000. The revival of this Grand Circuit event has developed to become the great race it was before."
The second highest money winner in the field from last year who is nominated is O’Brien Award winner, Jimmy Freight. The son of Sportswriter is trained (in Canada) by Richard Moreau. Jimmy Freight won $834,000 for owner Adriano Sorella.
Other contenders include last year’s Tattersalls winner American History ($600,000); Hayden Hanover, Thinkbig Dreambig, This Is The Plan, Springsteen, Nutcracker Sweet, Done Well, Grand Teton and Shnitzeldosomethin.
Quebec co-owned nominees include Quebec-bred Sire Stakes champion Stock, plus Courtly Choice, Phantom Seelster, Talbotcreekwhiskey, Torrin Hanover and Rene Allard’s Springsteen.
"I want to invite everyone to come to Trois-Rivieres the weekend of August 18," Levesque added, "as we want everyone to come out and enjoy our great racing and Quebecoise hospitality."
The next nomination payment to remain eligible to the Prix D’Ete is April 15, 2019.
The Hippodrome 3R is also gearing up for their 2019 opening day on Sunday, April 28.
2019 Prix D'Ete Nominees (after March 15, 2019 payment)
AMERICAN HISTORY
BOUNDING DRAGON
CASIMIR RICHIE P
COURTLY CHOICE
DECOY
DONE WELL
DRAGONOLOGY
GHOST DANCE
GRAND TETON
HAYDEN HANOVER
HIDDEN DELIGHT
HITMAN HILL
JIMMY FREIGHT
KWIK TALKIN
MINNIE VINNIE
NUTCRACKER SWEET
ODDS ON LAUDERDALE
PEDRO HANOVER
PHANTOM SEELSTER
PRETTY HANDSOME
ROCKAPELO
ROCKATHON
RUSH TO JUDGEMENT
SHADOW CAT
SHNITZLEDOSOMETHIN
SIMPLE KINDA MAN
SKYWAY QUINTON
SOMEBADDUDE
SPRINGSTEEN
STOCK
TALBOTCREEKWHISKEY
THE DOWNTOWN BUS
THINKBIG DREAMBIG
THIS IS THE PLAN
THOR DE VIE
TOPVILLE OLYMPIAN
TORRIN HANOVER
TRUMP NATION
TURBO HILL
WES DELIGHT
(with files from the Quebec Jockey Club)
With that many entries, its
With that many entries, its too bad that they don't run eliminations for the race, like they do for The Confederation Cup.