Officials with the Quebec Jockey Club have released the final list of eligibles for the Prix D’Ete, the $200,000 stakes event for four-year-old pacers that will take place at Quebec’s Hippodrome 3R on August 23.
The list is headed by Dan Patch and O’Brien Award winner McWicked, the Casie Coleman-trained son of Mcardle that has won 15 of his 33 career starts and banked over $1.6 million in purses.
A release by the QJC explains that the connections of 19 four-year-olds have made the final payment in order to keep their charges eligible, and that the top eight money winners this season at time of entry will get the opportunity to put their nose on the starting gate.
McWicked is owned by Ed James’ SSG Stables of North Boston, NY. The bay won 12 of 23 races last season and hit the board a total of 21 times. He finished his season on a three-race win streak, which included the Breeders Crown and a stakes-record triumph in the Progress Pace.
McWicked’s other major victories came the Delvin Miller Adios and Max C. Hempt Memorial. His time of 1:47.3 in the Hempt at Pocono Downs is the fastest mile ever by a three-year-old on a five-eighths-mile track.
Bettors Delight bay All Bets Off has also been kept eligible. He earned $911,000 in purses last year and is already on a roll in 2015. After having won his elimination, All Bets Off captured the $200,000 final of the Confederation Cup at Flamboro Downs.
Big Boy Dreams, who was last year’s Windy City Pace victor, was purchased during the off season for $265,000, and is now trained by Rene Allard, who has set his sights on the Prix D’Ete. The son of If I Can Dream, has won back to back Open events at both Yonkers and Pocono Downs this season, the fastest an impressive 1:49.4.
Another outstanding four-year-old that has been nominated is Hes Watching, who set the world record last season with his 1:46.4 triumph in the Meadowlands Pace.
The list keeps looking stronger with outstanding performers Limelight Beach, Luck Be Withyou and Somewhere In L A also eligible to the Prix D’Ete.
“This is a superb list of top horses for this year’s Prix D’Ete,” said Vincent Trudel, general manager at the Hippodrome 3R. “It is safe to say that with this calibre of great horses eligible, the all-age track record of 1:50.3 set last year in the Prix D’Ete by Sunfire Blue Chip, will most certainly be in jeopardy.
“We are looking forward to having a great Prix D’Ete weekend August 22 and 23,” Trudel said. “We want to invite everyone to come out to beautiful Trois-Rivieres for our live harness racing and enjoy our wonderful Quebecois hospitality!”
2015 Prix D’Ete - Final Nominees
All Bets Off
Arthur Blue Chip
Atomic Million Am
Bettorever
Big Boy Dreams
Boomboom Ballykeel
Electric Western
Hes Watching
Ideal Cowboy
Limelight Beach
Luck Be Withyou
Mattamerican
McWicked
National Best
Somewhere In LA
Three Of Clubs
Titus Seelster
Unlocked
Winds Of Change
(With files from the QJC)