Quebec’s Prix d’Ete and its interesting history
At 0h03, on August 13, 2024 • By STEVE WOLF, Quebec Jockey Club
Coming up on Sunday, August 18, the Quebec Jockey Club will present its richest and most prestigious race of the year at the Hippodrome 3R in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec with the return of the $200,000 Prix d’Ete.
Prix d’Ete means Summer or Classic Prize and the classic event now features only four-year-old harness racing pacers but back in the day it was the most prestigious race in all of Canada for three-year-olds.
This race 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. The race was open to pacers aged four and older. A $50,000 purse made it the richest harness race at that time in Canadian history.
That first edition in 1966 was won by none other than Brett Hanover and trainer-driver Frank Ervin in 1:59.
Within a year, the race was renamed the L’Amble du Centenaire (Centennial Pace) in honor of Canada’s 100th anniversary and was 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.
Over the years many of the sport’s greatest three-year-olds won the Prix d’Ete including Precious Fella (1976) with driver Gary Cameron in 1:56.4, Niatross (1980) and trainer-driver Clint Galbraith in 1:53.4, Cam Fella (1982) with trainer-driver Pat Crowe in 1:55.1 and Matt’s Scooter (1988) for driver Michel Lachance in 1:54.3 just to name a few.
The last time the Prix d’Ete was held at H3R was in 2019. Then Covid and its lingering effects caused the race to be cancelled until 2024.
The richest ever Prix d’Ete was $663,500 back in 1991 and was won by Beach Towel (Ray Remmen) in 1:53.1.
The world’s greatest harness racing drivers and trainers have raced in the Prix d’Ete over its many years. Three drivers have won the race twice in its history. They are Keith Waples (1972, 1975), Michel Lachance (1988, 1989) and Yannick Gingras (2014, 2016).
Two trainers have each won the Prix d’Ete three times. They are Billy Haughton (1967, 1970 and 1974) and Ron Burke (2015, 2016, 2019).
The stakes record for the event was in 2019 when This Is The Plan and driver Daniel Dube won in a blazing 1:49.1. That was the first time any race in H3R’s history went under 1:50. At the time it was not only the stakes and all-age track record at H3R, but the fastest half mile race in Canadian history.
The entry box for the Prix d’Ete closes on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at 11:00 am. We will then see who will be eligible to wear the Prix d’Ete crown in 2024.
