Prix d'Été (English: Summer Classic) is a horse racing event for four-year-old Standardbred pacers held annually in Canada, at Hippodrome 3R of Trois-Rivières, Quebec.

Prix d'Été
Logo in 2019.
LocationTrois-Rivières, Quebec
Canada
Inaugurated1966
Race typeHarness race for standardbred pacers
Websitehippodrome3r.ca
Race information
Distance1 mile (1,609 metres or 8 furlongs)
SurfaceDirt
TrackHippodrome 3R [1]
Qualification4yo pacers
Purse$500,000 (2019)

History

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This event was held for the first time in 1966 under the name of Prix d'Automne (Autumn Classic) at the now defunct Blue Bonnets Raceway in Montreal. Run over a distance of one mile on a 5/8 mile oval track, the race was open to pacers age four and older. A $50,000 purse made it the richest harness race at that time in Canadian history. In 1967 the race was renamed the L'Amble du Centenaire (Centennial Pace) in honor of Canada's 100th anniversary and made open to pacers age three and older. In 1968 it became the Prix d'Été and in 1971 was modified to a stake race for three-year-old pacers.[1]

Cancellation and Revival

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The Prix d'Été was one of the top harness races in North America until 1992. The 1993 edition had to be cancelled due to a five-month strike action by horsemen. Deemed as no longer viable, the owners decided to close the track but in 1995 a municipal government corporation, Le Société d'habitation et de développement de Montréal (SHDM), purchased the track and renamed it Hippodrome de Montréal. Taken over and operated by the provincial government agency SONACC (Société nationale du cheval de course), but eventually withdrew its support and placed their operating company under bankruptcy protection on October 13, 2009, and permanently closed the facility.[2]

The Prix d'Été was not held again until being revived in 2014 at Hippodrome 3R in Trois-Rivières as a race for four-year-olds. With a purse of $500,000 in 2019, it became the most remunerative race in North America for four-year-old pacers.[3]

Records

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Most wins by a driver:

Most wins by a trainer:

Stakes record:

  • 1:50 3/5 – Sunfire Blue Chip (2014) & All Bets Off (2015)

Prix d'Été winners

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Year
Winner
Age
Driver
Trainer
Owner
Time
Purse
2016 Rockin Ron 4 Yannick Gingras Ron Burke Burke Racing Stable LLC 1:52 0/0 $200,000
2015 All Bets Off 4 Matt Kakaley Ron Burke Burke Racing Stable LLC 1:50 3/5 $200,000
2014 Sunfire Blue Chip 4 Yannick Gingras Jimmy Takter Christina Takter, Brixton Medical AB, et al. 1:50 3/5 $200,000
1993 - 2013 Race not held
1992 Direct Flight 3 John Campbell Kelvin Harrison Joseph Alflen 1:52 1/5 $307,400
1991 Die Laughing 3 Richard Silverman Jerry Silverman Alnoff Stable & Val D'Or Farms 1:51 2/5 $603,500
1990 Beach Towel 3 Ray Remmen Larry Remmen Uptown Stable 1:53 1/5 $663,500
1989 Goalie Jeff 3 Michel Lachance Tom Artandi Centre Ice Stable 1:52 1/5 $632,500
1988 Matt's Scooter 3 Michel Lachance Harry J. Poulton Gordon & Illa Rumpel, Charles Juravinski 1:54 4/5 $582,000
1987 Frugal Gourmet 3 Trevor Ritchie Blair Burgess Excellent Stable 1:53 3/5 $548,000
1986 Armbro Emerson 3 Walter Whelan Brian Burton Ed Weisz & Light Heavy Weight Stable 1:56 0/0 $527,500
1985 Falcon Seelster 3 Tom Harmer Tom Harmer Ciara Stable & Charles Day 1:53 2/5 $358,000
1984 Butler BG 3 Ted Wing Camilla Stanfield Lawrence Cadish 1:53 4/5 $411,500
1983 Ralph Hanover 3 Ron Waples Stewart Firlotte Ron Waples, Pointsetta Stables, Grants Direct Stables 1:54 0/0 $411,500
1982 Cam Fella 3 Pat Crowe Pat Crowe Norman Clements & Norman Faulkner 1:55 1/5 $377,000
1981 Seahawk Hanover 3 Ben Webster Samuel "Skip" Lewis Dave Harris, Samuel Lewis, et al. 1:55 3/5 $226,100
1980 Niatross 3 Clint Galbraith Clint Galbraith Niatross Syndicate 1:53 4/5 $161,650
1979 Hot Hitter 3 Hervé Filion Louis Meittinis Solomon Katz, S A J & Alterman Stables 1:54 0/0 $181,150
1978 Abercrombie 3 Glen Garnsey Glen Garnsey L. Keith Bulen & Shirley A. Mitchell 1:55 4/5 $150,750
1977 Governor Skipper 3 John Chapman H. "Bucky" Norris Ivanhoe Stable 1:54 3/5 $154,750
1976 Precious Fella 3 Gary Cameron Del Cameron Oscar & Michael Kimmelman, et al. 1:56 4/5 $163,700
1975 Albert's Star 3 Keith Waples Keith Waples Seiling Stable 1:58 0/0 $140,000
1974 Armbro Omaha 3 Peter Haughton Billy Haughton Armstrong Brothers Stables 1:57 4/5 $150,000
1973 Armbro Nadir 3 Nelson White Nelson White Dr. Donald Davis 1:56 1/5 $130,000
1972 Strike Out 3 Keith Waples John Hayes Beejay Stable 1:58 2/5 $100,000
1971 Albatross 3 Stanley Dancer Stanley Dancer Amicable Stable 1:57 2/5 $75,000
1970 Laverne Hanover 4 George Sholty Billy Haughton Thomas W. Murphy, Jr. 1:57 2/5 $75,000
1969 Race not held
1968 True Duane 5 Norman "Chris" Boring Leon Boring Richard Oldfield 1:58 0/0 $50,000
1967 Romulus Hanover 3 Billy Haughton Billy Haughton Farmstead Acres Farm 1:57 1/5 $50,000
1966 Bret Hanover 4 Frank Ervin Frank Ervin Richard Downing 1:59 0/0 $50,000

References

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