# Prix d'Été

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.

## History

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.

### Cancellation and Revival

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.
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.

## Records

Most wins by a driver:
* 2 - Keith Waples (1972, 1975)
* 2 - Michel Lachance (1988, 1989)
* 2 - Yannick Gingras (2014, 2016)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 6 – Billy Haughton (1967, 1970, 1974)
Stakes record:
* 1:50 3/5 – Sunfire Blue Chip (2014) & All Bets Off (2015)

## Prix d'Été winners

| 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 | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | 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 | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | 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 |