Posts Drawn For Prix d'Été

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Published: August 15, 2019 12:58 pm EDT

The post positions have been drawn for the sixth revival of the prestigious $200,000 Prix d’Été, to take place Sunday (Aug. 18) at Hippodrome 3R.

Jimmy Freight is the richest career earner of the four-year-olds in the Prix d’Été with $1,248,386 bankrolled and he drew post six.

The son of Sportswriter, owned by Adriano Sorella of Guelph, Ont., and trained in Canada by Richard Moreau, has only one win this season, but it was a lifetime mark of 1:48.1 in the $100,000 Mohawk Gold Cup at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

He has been racing most of the season against the best older horses in the nation, including Lather Up and McWicked. He has four second-place finishes.

While racing against the best Free-For-All pacers in North America this season, This Is The Plan can boast finishing second to the best of them. He drew post four and will be driven by Trois-Rivières native, Daniel Dubé.

In five of his last six starts, the gelded son of Somebeachsomewhere has been second in the Sam McKee, the Gerrity, the William Haughton and the Graduate.

Before the Graduate, This Is The Plan won the $500,000 Ben Franklin Final, beating McWicked and Western Fame. This has been his lone win this year for trainer Ron Burke, and it was in a lifetime best clocking of 1:48.2 for the career winner of $1,205,410.

This Is The Plan will race as part of an entry from the Ron Burke Stable with the Well Said gelding, Done Well, a $620,391 career winner.

Done Well starts from post three for driver Bob McClure and has also been racing in the top class this year. Earlier this season, he won the 41st annual Confederation Cup at Flamboro Downs.

Also starring in the field is the Astronomical stallion, Casimir Richie P, for trainer and co-owner Dr. Ian Moore of Cambridge, Ont. Casimir Richie P comes to H3R on a three-race winning streak in the Preferred Pace at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The razor-sharp Casimir Richie P has won four of his last five starts, and driving him will be Québec’s own Sylvain Filion. He will need to be sharp on Sunday, having drawn the far outside post eight.

Another entry, this one from the Chris Oakes Stable, features tough pacers Hitman Hill and Turbo Hill, both of whom are co-owned by Tom Hill of Hamilton, Ont.

Hitman Hill makes his debut at H3R shipping in on a two-race win streak and has won three of his last four starts. The American Ideal gelding sports six wins this year, the fastest a lifetime mark of 1:49 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. He drew post one and will be driven by Eric Goodell, who makes his driving debut at H3R.

Stablemate Turbo Hill, also sired by American Ideal, has been racing mainly at Yonkers Raceway’s half-mile oval and has an amazing 11 wins for trainer-driver Hunter Oakes, Chris Oakes' son. He has been second in three of his last four starts in the Four-Year-Old Open, and has a record this year of 1:49.4. He drew post position seven.

The Downtown Bus has five wins this year for trainer Jeff Gillis, who also co-owns the gelded son of Mach Three. He has been first, second and third in his last three starts at Yonkers and has a record of 1:48 this year, making him the fastest competitor in the field. He drew post five.

Pretty Handsome ships in from Georgian Downs, where the Mach Three gelding has eight wins and has been first or second the last six starts in the Preferred Pace. He will be driven by Trevor Henry for trainer Andrew McCabe. Pretty Handsome drew post two.

He has a record this year of 1:51.1 at Georgian Downs and shows he can win from on or off the pace.

The entire field, with post positions, drivers and trainers, is as follows:

$200,000 Prix d’Été Four-Year-Old Pace
1. Hitman Hill (Eric Goodell, Hunter Oakes)
2. Pretty Handsome (Trevor Henry, Andrew McCabe)
3. Done Well (Bob McClure, Ron Burke)
4. This Is The Plan (Daniel Dubé, Ron Burke)
5. The Downtown Bus (Driver TBA, Jeff Gillis)
6. Jimmy Freight (Louis-Philippe Roy, Richard Moreau)
7. Turbo Hill (Hunter Oakes, Hunter Oakes)
8. Casimir Richie P (Sylvain Filion, Dr. Ian Moore)

With a forecast of sunny skies and temperatures in the high 20s Celsius, the all-age track record of 1:50.3 — jointly held by past Prix d’Été winners Sunfire Blue Chip (2014) and All Bets Off (2015) — will be in jeopardy with this stellar field.

The Prix d’Été will be the 11th race on the 12-race program Sunday, and the estimated post time is 4:25 p.m.

Also, on Sunday at 3R will be the third round of the Breeders Cup Series for three-year-old pacing colts and fillies. Post time Sunday is 1 p.m. To view entries for Sunday's card, click the following link: Sunday Entries - Hippodrome 3R

(Québec Jockey Club)

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