TROIS-RIVIERES, Quebec – The richest and fastest harness racing pacing colts of the 2014 season in North America have been nominated to the second annual revival of the $200,000 Prix D’Ete at the Hippodrome 3R.

The $200,000 Prix D’Ete is restricted to four-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 four-year-olds in the sport.

Headlining the list of the 28 four-year-olds that features six of the top ten money winning three-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 three-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 SSG Stable.

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.

And if speed counts for anything, then the Prix D’Ete eligibles for 2015 have that too, as five of the six fastest three-year-old pacing colts last year were also 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 a co-fastest harness race horse ever, heads the lineup followed by McWicked’s  1:47.3 world record mile at Pocono Downs, Always B Miki (1:47.4), Luck Be With You (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, who 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 over $500,000 with a record of 1:50.

The top four leading money winner 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 slated 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.”

From the Quebec Jockey Club

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