from the Quebec Jockey Club

Trois-Rivieres, PQ — The richest and fastest pacing colts of the 2014 season in North America have been nominated to the second annual revival of the C$200,000 Prix D’Ete at the Hippodrome 3R.

Headlining the list of the 28 4-year-olds that features six of the top ten money winning 3-year-olds from last year is $1,472,937 winner McWicked. He was voted the Dan Patch Award and the O’Brien Award as North America’s top 3-year-old pacing colt of the year in 2014. Last year he was victorious in the Breeders Crown, the Hempt Memorial, the Adios Pace and the Progress Pace for trainer Casie Coleman and Ed James’ S S G Stables.

He is joined by other world class performers All Bets Off, He’s Watching, Always B Miki, Limelight Beach and Somewhere In L A among the top ten money winners from 2014. Three of the horses nominated are million dollar lifetime winners, McWicked, He’s Watching and All Bets Off.

The C$200,000 Prix D’Ete is restricted to 4-year-old pacers only and the race will be held on Sunday (August 23). It is the richest harness horse race in all of Quebec and one of the richest races for 4-year-olds in the sport.

And if speed counts for anything, then the Prix D’Ete eligibles for 2015 have that, too, as five of the six fastest 3-year-old pacing colts last year were nominated. There are 12 horses nominated with a race record of 1:50 or faster.

He’s Watching, with his amazing 1:46.4 world record performance in the Meadowlands Pace final, which ties him as co-fastest harness horse in a race ever, heads the line-up followed by McWicked’s 1:47.3 world record mile at Pocono Downs, Always B Miki (1:47.4), Luck Be Withyou (1:48) and All Bets Off (1:48.3).

“With this caliber of horses nominated,” said 3R General Manager Vincent Trudel, “the Hippodrome 3R track record set last year by Sunfire Blue Chip in 1:50.3 in the Prix D’Ete could easily be broken. What a great group of horses we have that have been nominated.”

Jimmy Takter trained Sunfire Blue Chip was driven in the Prix D’Ete by local favorite Yannick Gingras. Takter hopes to return once again to vie for the Prix D’Ete trophy as his stable has nominated Somewhere In L A, who last year won $519,349 with a record of 1:50.

The top four leading money winning trainers in 2014 all have horses nominated to the Prix D’Ete. They are Ron Burke, Jimmy Takter, Erv Miller and Casie Coleman.

“We could not be more pleased with such top horses nominated to the Prix D’Ete,” Trudel added. “There are still two more nomination payments that must be made in April and May, but I am sure that most of these horses will remain eligible. It will also be exciting as this season we have purchased a new starting car with a slanted gate that will make the races even more competitive.”

There is also a local flavor to the race as seven of the horses entered have Quebec-based connections. They are Atomic Million AM, Bettorever, Big Boy Dreams, Boomboom Ballykeel, Electric Western, Titus Seelster and Vance Bayama.

“It is shaping up that we can look forward to an exciting live race meet at 3R,” Trudel said. “The race fans will not only get to see the best horses compete in the Prix D’Ete, but with the new starting gate, our $1 million Quebec-bred series, the drivers tournament and the special promotions we have planned throughout the season, opening day on Sunday (May 3) cannot arrive fast enough.”

Here are the 28 horses nominated in alphabetical order:

All Bets Off
Always B Miki
Arthur Blue Chip
Atomic Million AM
Best Said
Bettorever
Big Boy Dreams
Boomboom Ballykeel
Electric Western
Fort Knox
He’s Watching
Jet Airway
Limelight Beach
Luck Be Withyou
Mattamerican
McWicked
Melmerby Beach
National Debt
Roger Mach EM
Silverhill Shadow
Somewhere In L A
Speckled Door
Three Of Clubs
Titus Seelster
Unlocked
Vance Bayama
Whiskey N Pie
Winds Of Change