by Thomas Hedlund

Philippe Allaire-trained Izoard Vedaquais (Bird Parker) had already secured his spot in the Prix d’Amérique when Sunday’s (Jan. 14) $125,000 Prix de Belgique was held at Vincennes, but that fact didn’t stop the talented horse from winning the last B-race before the big event later this month.

Benjamin Rochard sent Izoard Vedaquais to the front with three-quarters-of-a-mile to go in the 2,850 meters-long race and the storming challengers far outside in the stretch were all too late in their attempt capturing the trophy.

Izoard Vedaquais was an early talent in the French I-crop, but the previous season was not his best and horses like Idao de Tillard, Italiano Vero and Inmarosa were more successful in the bigger races. And Inmarosa was one of the horses in the Prix de Belgique that secured a place in the Prix d’Amérique on Jan. 28. The Laurent-Claude Abrivard trained mare finished strongly and hit the wire at the exact same point as Go On Boy, who punched a well-deserved ticket to the Prix d’Amérique via the dead heat silver place.

Over 1.7 miles, it was a mile rate of 1:57.2 for the winner Izoard Vedaquais.

The remaining horses that will enter the Prix d’Amérique are the ones with the most earnings in their careers, respectively and the following horses showed interest when the declaration was opened earlier this week.

It was also announced that French harness racing’s biggest name, Jean-Michel Bazire, not will drive in the race this year. His Hooker Berry will be driven by Nicolas Bazire, which means that Jean-Michel will watch the Prix d’Amérique from off the track for the first time since 1998. Bazire claimed his first Prix d’Amérique win the year after, in 1999 when he steered Jimmy Takter’s Moni Maker to triumph in Paris.

HORSES QUALIFIED FOR PRIX D’AMÉRIQUE:

Ampia Mede Sm

Emeraude de Bais

Go On Boy

Gu d’Heripre

Hokkaido Jiel

Hooker Berry

Hussard du Landret

Idao de Tillard

Inmarosa

Izoard Vedaquais

HORSES THAT WILL ENTER PRIX D’AMÉRIQUE BY EARNINGS:

Horse — Earnings in Euro

Vivid Wise As — $3,627,168

Etonnant — $2,526,710

Joviality — $2,769,874

Hohneck — $2,277,005

Delia du Pommereux — $1,893,755

Cokstile — $1,828,968

Flamme du Goutier — $1,601,955

Hail Mary — $1,475,239

HORSES OUTSIDE OF THE RACE, BUT WITH A CHANCE TO ENTER:

Aetos Kronos — $1,200,194

Diable de Vauvert — $1,162,190

Power — $1,147,291

Moni Viking — $1,144,486

SET FOR THE BIGGEST MONTÉ RACE IN THE WORLD

Thierry Duvaldestin-trained Flamme du Goutier will chase her third consecutive win in Sunday’s (Jan. 21) monté race, the $760,000 Prix de Cornulier.

Flamme du Goutier has proved best under saddle two years in a row and in Sunday’s race she will face 17 well-merited monté trotters.

PRIX DE CORNULIER 2024

2,700 meters

Horse (sire) — Jockey — Trainer

1. Halfa (Offshore Dream) — Alan Gendrot — Stéphane Levoy

2. Hannah (Vulcain de Vandel) — Florian Desmigneux — Jean-Francois Senet

3. Ibiki de Houelle (Love You) — Eric Raffin — Franck Leblanc

4. Gold Voice (Jag de Bellouet) — Benjamin Rochard — Fabrice Souloy

5. Georgica Gede (Atlas de Joudes) — Guillaume Martin — Alexandre Pillon

6. Fine Perle of Love (Theo Josselyn) — Pierre-Yves Verva — Emmanuel Varin

7. Geisha Speed (Uriel Speed) — Anthony Barrier — Jean-Philippe Monclin

8. Fougue Dollar (Up and Quick) — Dylan Dulong — Sylvain Roger

9. Editon Gema (Prince Gede) — Gaëlle Godard — Marc Sassier

10. Dynasty Peji (Prodigious) — Damien Bonne — Damien Bonne

11. Vaprio (Adrian Chip) — Nathalie Henry — Alessandro Gocciadoro

12. Esperanza Idole (Quido du Goutier) — Jean-Yann Ricart — Noël Langlois

13. Ina du Rib (Uhlan du Val) — Jean-Luc Claude Dersoir — Joel Hallais

14. Hirondelle du Rib (Rolling d’Heripre) — Noé Perron — Joel Hallais

15. Ideale du Chene (Bird Parker) — Paul-Philippe Ploquin — Julien le Mer

16. Hanna des Molles (Village Mystic) — Francois Lagadeuc — Laurent-Claude Abrivard

17. Granvillaise Bleue (Jag de Bellouet) — Camille Levesque — Pierre Levesque

18. Flamme du Goutier (Ready Cash) — Mathieu Mottier — Thierry Duvaldestin