Harness: Prix d'Ete Grand Circuit race cancelled

The 2022 Prix d'Ete Grand Circuit race that was scheduled for Sunday, August 21 at the Hippodrome 3R racetrack in Quebec, has been canceled for 2022.

The Quebec Jockey Club made the announcement today, citing that due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has shut down all of the Off-Track-Betting (OTB) sites in Quebec and at the racetrack and with the uncertainty of being able to have spectators at the racetrack starting this fall, it was in the best interest to cancel the $200,000 race for 2022. The race was also canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

"Because all of our OTB's have been closed since December 20th of last year due to Covid, we must cut back our premier race again this year," said Claude Levesque, chairman of the Quebec Jockey Club. "I am confident next year will be brighter and a much different story."

One of the richest races in North America restricted to just four-year-old's, the Prix d'Ete dates back to 1966 at Blue Bonnets Raceway in Montreal. Over the years many world champions won the prestigious race. The stakes race ended when Blue Bonnets closed in 1992 and was revived by the Quebec Jockey Club in 2014.

The Hippodrome 3R is scheduled to tentatively start the 2022 harness racing meet on Sunday, April 30, 2022.

For more information, visit www.hippodrome3r.ca.

-edited release (Quebec Jockey Club)