A full field of eight four-year-old pacers will compete on Sunday, Aug. 18 at Hippodrome 3R in the return of the Prix d’Été, a Grand Circuit race with a purse of $200,000.
A total of 10 horses were entered in the prestigious stakes event that was last held at 3R in 2019. The stakes condition states that the top eight 2024 money winners get into the race. The remaining two are the also eligibles.
Its My Show is the class of the field and a career winner of $1.44 million. The royally bred son of Sweet Lou out of Put On A Show last year won the Little Brown Jug (pictured above) and the North America Cup. In his last start, the Linda Toscano trainee was second by a neck in the $305,556 Sam McKee Memorial at The Meadowlands in 1:47.3.
Act Fast entered the Prix d’Été off the fastest mile of his career last week, winning the $136,968 Myron Charna President’s Pace at Northfield Park's half-mile oval in 1:50.2. It was his fourth win on the year for trainer Ron Burke, who has also entered Tip Top Cat, a 1:50.4 winner this season.
Light The Torch is the local favourite, having raced and won numerous times at 3R for trainer Marc-Andre Simoneau and has a lifetime mark of 1:53.2 taken this year at Rideau Carleton Raceway.
The complete field of eight is listed below in post position order.
$200,000 Prix d’Été
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer
1. El Rey - Louis-Philippe Roy - Andrew Harris
2. Act Fast - Daniel Dube - Ron Burke
3. Redwood Hanover - Jonathan Drury - Anthony Beaton
4. Huntinthelastdolar - Doug McNair - Per Engblom
5. No Control - Jody Jamieson - Tan Micallef
6. Tip Top Cat - Stephane Brosseau - Ron Burke
7. Its My Show - James MacDonald - Linda Toscano
8. Light The Torch - Pascal Berube - Marc-Andre Simoneau
AE1. Command - Daniel Dube - Jacques Dupont
AE2. Stockade Seelster - Louis-Philippe Roy - Ian Moore
Once the premier race in all of Canada, the Prix d’Été was originally for three-year-old pacers and featured the best colts in North America year after year. Previous winners include Bret Hanover, Albatross, Niatross, Hot Hitter, Cam Fella, On The Road Again, Ralph Hanover, Matts Scooter and a host of other top pacers.
The Prix d’Été was last held at Hippodrome 3R in 2019 when This Is The Plan and driver Daniel Dube set the all-time track and stakes record and what was then a Canadian record for a half-mile track of 1:49.1.
The Prix d’Été will be held as the 10th race on the 12-race Sunday card that begins at 12 noon.
The program will include the third leg of the Future Stars Series for Quebec-bred two-year-old pacing colts and fillies. There will be two divisions for the colts and one for the fillies.
To view Sunday's complete harness racing entries, click the following link: Sunday Entries - Hippodrome 3R.
(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)