A record number of 28 nominees for the $200,000 Prix D’Ete at the Hippodrome 3R are now final for the revival of the showcase race on Sunday, August 20.
Restricted to four-year-old pacers, the fourth renewal of the Prix D’Ete final will feature the top eight money-winners in 2017 that enter the race.
New this year for the race is that every horse that enters will receive purse money as the new conditions of the race call for horses finishing sixth through eighth-place to each receive $1,000.
While the Prix D’Ete final is nearly three months away, the action in the four-year-old division has been fast and furious so far, this season.
This past Sunday, Western Fame proved to be the current standout as he was able to quarter-move and then wire the field in capturing the $176,000 Confederation Cup final at Flamboro Downs in 1:51.4 over a “good” track. Trained by Jimmy Takter, who won the inaugural revival of the Prix D’Ete in 2014 with Sunfire Blue Chip, Western Fame could be his second Prix D’Ete triumph.
Second in the race was the top horse Check Six from the Ron Burke Stable. Burke has sent out the last two Prix D’Ete winners, All Bets Off (2015) and Rockin Ron (2016) as the stable goes for a record three straight Prix D’Ete triumphs.
Finishing third was Sinatra and, in fact, all nine starters in the Confederation Cup final are also eligible to the Prix D’Ete.
Quebec-owned nominees include Quebec-bred champions HP Patriote and Sports Authority, Endeavor and Stonebridge Beach.
The Prix D'Ete was the most prestigious race in all of Canada from 1966 through 1992. World champions Brett Hanover, Albatross, Niatross, Hot Hitter, Cam Fella, On The Road Again, Ralph Hanover, Matts Scooter and a host of other top pacers won the Prix D'Ete.
“This is super to have a record number nominated for the final,” said Claude Levesque, president of the Quebec Jockey Club. “We could well see the track record broken come August 20 in the final.”
In 2014, the Quebec Jockey Club revived the Prix D’Ete, making it the track's premier race in all of Quebec and one of the richest races in North America only for four-year-old pacers.
2017 Prix D'Ete Final Nominees:
AMERICAN PASSPORT
ANOTHER DAILY COPY
ARSENIC
ARTMAGIC
AWESOMENESS
BIG TOP HANOVER
CHECK SIX
DAY TRADE HANOVER
DR J HANOVER
ENDEAVOR
GERRIES SPORT
HP PATRIOTE
LYONS SYNDER
MAGNUM J
MISSILE J
MR WIGGLE PANTS
NOCTURNAL BLUECHIP
PRETTY BOY HILL
ROLLAROUNDTHEWORLD
ROLL AWAY JOE
SECRECY
SEELEY MAN
SINTRA
SPIDER MAN HANOVER
SPORTS AUTHORITY
STONEBRIDGE BEACH
VORACITY
WESTERN FAME
(QJC)