Prix d'Amérique 2016

January 31, 2016 - Trotting, 2700 meters, Paris-Vincennes

Preview: January 28, 2016

Bold Eagle will enter the most important trotting race of the world as clear favourite and it would be a major surprise, would he not pass the line as winner. Against horses of his own age he proved a different class, most recently he also outclassed his older competitors in the Prix de Belgique. But even though Bold Eagle seems from another planet, so far he has won nothing. In the Prix d'Amérique much depends on how the race is run, a good position in the field and of course luck is needed too.
Serious opponents are not hard to find, still old stagers like Timoko or Up And Quick should not be underestimated. The later is the title defender. He did not really convince the recent weeks, but actually does not need to be in top form before the big race.
Last years runner-up Voltigeur De Myrt should be on the short-list too, as well as experienced players like Tiégo d'Etang and Un Mec d'Héripré or talented youngster like Lionel and Bird Parker.

20 victories from 23 starts is the impressive record of Bold Eagle. The only five year old did not find challengers at his own age, won the Grand Prix d'UET by five length in October and also was a different class when captured the Critérium Continental at the end of last year.
The son of the two times Amérique-winner Ready Cash seems to get driven like a car. He is able to go every pace and easily accelerates at any time, so many experts think he will be the dominating trotter the next years.
On January 17 he then faced older horses for the first time in the Prix de Belgique. Though he had a perfect race and several of his opponents did not go hundred percent, his performance was so impressive again, that it is hard to imagine he will not win the Prix d'Amérique. However, no horse with the number 10 has won the Amérique since forty years.

Bold Eagle's most dangerous opponents might be found among the older and experienced horses. At the top of that list obviously stands the winner of the 2015 Prix d’Amérique Up And Quick. He took part in the last three 'B-races' but only used them to build up his form. In fact he never really seemed like an upcoming Amérique-winner the recent weeks, still we should not forget that his trainer Franck Leblanc knows how to get him in top form straight to the point.

Another strong veteran is Timoko, an impressive winner of the Prix de Bourgogne at the beginning of this year. The nine-year-old got third in last year's Prix d’Amérique, he had his greatest successes over shorter distances though, like the Prix de Bourgogne (2.100 m), 2015 Prix de France (2.100 m), 2014 Elitloppet (1.609 m), 2011 Critérium Continental (2.100 m).

A horse that also belongs on the short-list is Voltigeur De Myrt. Last year he became runner-up in the Prix d’Amérique as a 99:1 rank outsider, won the Prix René Ballière in June and just showed good form at the right time when ended second in the Prix de Belgique.

It would be quite a surprise, if any other trotter would win the 2016 Prix d’Amérique, the other horses will rather focus on the placings.
The eight year old Un Mec d'Héripré had outclassed Uhlan Du Val and Up And Quick in the 2012 Critérium Continental. After an almost one year break he returned at the end of last year, won the Prix de Bourbonnais in December and gave a strong impression in the Prix de Belgique too.

Even one year older is Tiégo d'Etang, who already took part in the Prix d’Amérique three times. Last Sunday he entered the Prix de Cornulier as favourite but disappointed on the seventh place.

Akim Du Cap Vert won the Prix de Bretagne in November and ended third in the Prix Tenor de Baune afterwards. The son of First De Retz had won the Critérium des 4 Ans in 2014, he would prefer a fast run race on Sunday.

The mentioned Prix Tenor de Baune for the five-year-olds was won by the Norwegian horse Lionel ahead of Robert Bi. The former fifth of the 2014 Norsk Travderby did not look particularly well in the Prix de Belgique, but that was the first time he met older horses.

Another young talent with a bright future is Bird Parker, like Bold Eagle a son of Ready Cash. He got beaten by his half-brother in the Critérium Continental, but did very well when finished fifth in the Prix de Belgique, giving the impression to even do better soon.

With Support Justice Norway are having another strong contender, who had won the Åby Stora Pris (1.640 m) in August. Most recently he did not do very well in the Prix de Belgique, but that was his first race after a four month break, so he should do better in the Prix d’Amérique.

Sweden will be represented by the former Svenskt Travderby winner Mosaique Face, who ended runner-up in the 2015 Elitloppet. Lutfi Kolgjini's charge never got on well with the Vincennes track, still we can expect one or two attacks of his stormy driver.

Back from an US-trip Oasis Bi gave a strong performance in the Prix de Belgique, still a place in the Prix d’Amérique would be quite a surprise.

With his eight years Univers De Pan already gained 1,5 million Euro and got third in the Prix de Bourgogne at the beginning of 2016. Still he will enter the race as outsider, just as Viking De Val, who got disqualified the last four races.

Also in Italy they hold a hope. The ten year old Moses Rob became runner-up in the Prix du Bourbonnai with a strong finish, also made in in the placing in the Prix de Bourgogne, where he got disqualified afterwards though.

For the first time since ten years two horses take part in the Prix d'Amérique that have not won more than 500,000 Euro. The chances of the mare Nephenta Lux, also from Italy, and Athos Des Elfes are little therefore.

However, several times horses with high odds managed it under the first three of the Prix d'Amérique the recent years, so it could make sense to have a small stake on one of the outsiders.