2017 Prix d'Amérique
January 29, 2017 - Trotting, 2700 meters, Paris-Vincennes
Preview: January 27, 2017
Title holder
Bold Eagle will be clear favourite
in the world's most important trotting race again.
As Elitloppet winner
Nuncio does not start
in the 2017 Prix d'Amérique (16:05 CET),
it is very difficult to find serious opposition.
Far more interesting is the question,
who will make it in the Trifecta, several horses seem able to manage a place.
The Swede Daniel Redén has four horses in the race,
Propulsion and
Lionel are well fancied.
Also the mares
Belina Josselyn and
Anna Mix
or the routinier
Timoko are potential candidates.
However, in recent history, outsiders made it under the first three of the Prix d'Amérique every year.
Despite he had been only five years at this point,
Bold Eagle entered the
2016 Prix d’Amérique
as clear favourite last year in January and did win it quite effortless.
His record of 30 victories out of 35 races says all.
Most recently he defeated top class opposition in the Prix du Bourbonnais and
Prix de Bourgogne in great style again, not easy to imagine that
the son of the two times Amérique-winner Ready Cash could not
defend his title.
Under a new, simplified mode the qualification was run, the first three of the four
so called 'B-races' are now eligible for the Prix d’Amérique.
Bold Eagle won the Prix de Bourgogne and Prix du Bourbonnais easily,
only
Lionel was able to put up some resistance.
The Norwegian colt heads the lot of the Swedish trainer Daniel Redén.
With
Call Me Keeper, the Hambletonian Oaks-winner
Wild Honey
and
Booster Winner he has so many starters in the Prix d’Amérique as nobody else before him.
Besides Lionel, who had beaten Bold Eagle in the Prix de Paris (4,150 m) last year,
Redén's biggest hopes lie on Propulsion.
The USA-born son of Muscle Hill was cancelled from the Prix de Belgique on January 15,
but is now ready for the Prix d’Amérique.
Belina Josselyn had been amongst the favourites in the first two B-races,
but the daughter of Love You got disqualified both times.
She grabbed her Amérique ticket then on December 25, when won the
Prix Tenor de Baune narrowly ahead of
Bird Parker and Boléro Love.
Another interesting mare is
Anna Mix.
Despite a bad start she won the Prix de Bretagne ahead of Propulsion on November 20,
was send to Sweden afterwards by
owner Leblanc Franck, to prepare for the Prix d’Amérique.
Not only Bold Eagle will attract attention in Paris-Vincennes,
also the runner-up and third of last year, the 'warhorses' Timoko and Oasis B,
are glamorous trotting stars.
Timoko has managed gigantic winnings of 4,3 million Euros,
made it under the top 5 of the Prix d’Amérique four times.
On New Year's Day the ten-year-old finished second behind Bold Eagle in the Prix de Bourgogne,
but even though he will be in even better shape at the Prix d’Amérique,
a victory would be a major surprise.
Oasis B is a real globetrotter, run the big races on many of the most famoust racetracks of the world.
The Italian born son of Toss Out loves to attack from the back of the field and
can profit from his enormous international experience.
His third place in the 2016 Prix d’Amérique was quite a big surprise though.
He did not convince in the Prix de Belgique recently, but that was his first race after a three month break.