Full field tops H3R’s $200,000 Prix d’Ete

A full field of eight four-year-old harness racing pacers will compete Sunday, August 18 at the Hippodrome 3R (H3R) in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec in the return of the Prix d’Ete Grand Circuit race with a purse of C$200,000.

 A total of ten horses were entered in the prestigious stakes event that was last held at H3R in 2019. The stakes condition states that the top eight 2024 money winners get into the race. The remaining two are the also eligibles. The final driver changes will be done Thursday morning.

The eight finalists in post position order are:

   Post   Name   Sire   Driver  Trainer

1. EL REY (Captaintreacherous)  Louis-Philippe Roy – Andrew Harris
2. ACT FAST (Downbytheseaside)  Daniel Dube – Ron Burke
3. REDWOOD HANOVER (Stay Hungry) James MacDonald – Anthony Beaton
4. Huntingthelastdolar (Huntsville) Doug McNair – Per Engblom
5. NO CONTROL (Control The Moment)  Jody Jamieson  – Tan Micallef
6. TIP TOP CAT (Always B Miki) Louis-Philippe Roy – Ron Burke
7. IT’S MY SHOW (Sweet Lou) James MacDonald – Linda Toscano
8. LIGHT THE TORCH (Always B Miki) Pascal Berube – Marc-Andre Simoneau

     AE 1: Command, AE 2: Stockade Seelster

It’s My Show (Sweet Lou) is the class of the field and a career winner of $1.256 million. The royally bred son of Sweet Lou-Put On A Show last year won the Little Brown Jug and the North America Cup. In his last start he was second by a neck in the $220,000 Sam McKee Memorial at the Meadowlands in 1:47.3.

Act Fast (Downbytheseaside) entered the Prix d’Ete off the fastest mile of his career last week, winning the $100,000 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 the Ron Burke Stable, who has also entered Tip Top Cat (Always B Miki), a 1:50.4 winner this season.

Light The Torch (Always B Miki) is the local favorite, having raced and won numerous times at H3R for trainer Marc-Andre Simoneau and has a record this year of 1:53.2 at Rideau Carleton.

Once the premier race in all of Canada, the Prix d’Ete (Summer Prize) was originally for 3-year-old pacers and would feature the best colts in North America year after year. Previous winners included Bret Hanover, Albatross, Niatross, Hot Hitter, Cam Fella, On The Road Again, Ralph Hanover, Matt’s Scooter and a host of other top pacers have won the Prix D’Ete.

The Prix d’Ete was last held at the Hippodrome 3R in 2019 when This Is The Plan and driver Daniel Dube set the all-time track & stakes record and Canadian record (half mile track) of 1:49.1.

The Prix D’Ete will be held as the 10^th race on the 12-race Sunday card that begins at 12:00 noon. Also on the program will be 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.

For the Sunday race entries, click here.

H3R currently races on Friday’s (4:00 pm) and Sunday’s (12:00 noon). For free race programs, click here.

by Steve Wolf, for the Quebec Jockey Club