Trois-Rivieres, QC — For the sixth straight year a record number of 4-year-old pacers have been sustained to the C$200,000 Prix D’Ete at the Hippodrome 3R in Quebec on Sunday (Aug. 18).

A total of 29 Standardbreds made the May 15 second sustaining payment, which surpassed the 2018 record of 27. The top eight money winners in 2019 at entry time will compete in the C$200,000 event.

Headlining the list of eligible horses is Courtly Choice, a million-dollar career winning son of Art Major, who won $910,603 last year with a record of 1:47.1 for trainer Blake MacIntosh. His top victories last year were the Little Brown Jug and the Meadowlands Pace. Courtly Choice is already off to a great start in 2019, having won two of his three starts. Last week he won the $100,000 Commodore Barry Pace in 1:49.1 at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

The Ron Burke Stable’s Done Well is another major early contender. The gelded son of Well Said has two wins in three starts this year. Last week he scorched the half-mile oval at Flamboro Downs, winning the $139,490 Confederation Cup in 1:50.2. The week prior he won his elimination in 1:51.4 over a sloppy track.

O’Brien award winner Jimmy Freight is nominated and he is a career winner of $941,657. The gusty son of Sportswriter was a game second last week to Done Well in the Confederation Cup.

Prix D’Ete eligibles who won last week include Thinkbig Dreambig, who scored at The Meadowlands in 1:50.2, Hitman Hill at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in 1:50.1 and Trump Nation at The Meadowlands in 1:49.3.

Quebec-owned nominees include Courtly Choice and Stock.

The Prix D’Ete was the most prestigious race in all of Canada from 1966 through 1992. World champions 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.

In the past five editions of the Prix D’Ete at H3R, the all-age track record was set and then tied as both Sunfire Blue Chip (2014) and All Bets Off (2015) won in 1:50.3.

Then in 2016, Harness Horse of the Year Wiggle It Jiggleit came to H3R for the Prix D’Ete and after a dramatic neck and neck battle the final half-mile of the race, was second in an upset by Rockin Ron (1:52) over a sloppy track. Rockin Ron made it two straight Prix D’Ete victories for the Ron Burke Stable.

In 2017, the Jimmy Takter Stable posted their second Prix D’Ete victory (Sunfire Blue Chip was the first), with Western Fame and driver Trevor Henry wiring the field in 1:53.2.

Last year it was an upset in the Prix D’Ete as driver Ricky Macomber Jr. scored with Beckhams Z Tam at odds of 9-1 ($21.10) in 1:52.1.

“We are very pleased with the quality of the horses that have entered this year’s Prix D’Ete,” said Claude Levesque, president of the Quebec Jockey Club. “The revival of this Grand Circuit event has developed to the great race it was before. This year especially because we have a record number of horses eligible and they are the best in North America.

“I want to invite everyone to come to Trois-Rivieres the weekend of Aug. 18, as we want everyone to come out and enjoy our great racing and Quebecoise hospitality.”

For more information visit www.quebecjockeyclub.com.

2019 Prix D’Ete nominees (after May 15, 2019 payment)

American History
Bounding Dragon
Bound To Rock
Courtly Choice
Done Well
Dragonology
Ghost Dance
Hayden Hanover
Hitman Hill
Jimmy Freight
Kwik Talkin
Minnie Vinnie
Nutcracker Sweet
Pedro Hanover
Pretty Handsome
Rush To Judgement
Shnitzledosomethin
Simple Kinda Man
Skyway Quinton
Springsteen
Stock
Talbotcreekwhiskey
The Downtown Bus
Thinkbig Dreambig
This Is The Plan
Thor De Vie
Topville Olympian
Trump Nation
Turbo Hill