Breaking down a Prix d’Amérique field weakened by injuries
The French classic, to be held Sunday at Vincennes in Paris, is missing several key horses due to injury.
by Thomas Hedlund
No Idao de Tillard, no Borups Victory, no Izoard Vedaquais – and earlier this week came the news that Jushua Tree is injured and will once again miss the Prix d’Amérique.
Trained by Nicolas Bazire, Jushua Tree was one of the main contenders for victory in this year’s $1,000,000 Prix d’Amérique, but a fracture in a hind leg brings an abrupt end to his winter campaign in Paris. From the same stable, the 5-year-old mare Liza Josselyn had also qualified for Sunday’s (Jan. 25) big race, but she will instead line up in Saturday’s (Jan. 24) $330,000 Prix Bold Eagle for 5-year-olds.
This year’s edition of the Prix d’Amérique has therefore seen one star after another disappear from the scene. It is not unfair to describe the 2026 event as weaker than usual, even though a number of high-profile performers still remain among the 18 starters. The mere fact that Daniel Redén once again sends out Francesco Zet in Paris is enough to raise the pulse.
Örjan Kihlström, who has driven Francesco Zet in all ٤٣ of his career starts, will be sidelined on Sunday, with Frenchman Benjamin Rochard taking over the reins of the Father Patrick colt. When Francesco Zet tried the Vincennes track in the autumn of ٢٠٢٤, things did not go well. The horse is notoriously aggressive towards rivals — especially other colts — and even struggled to make his way onto the track through Vincennes’ narrow stable area. This time, long standing starts surrounded by 17 rivals await him, adding another layer of intrigue.
Looking at Sunday’s race, Francesco Zet should still be considered one of the leading contenders. French star Go On Boy, winner of the 2025 Elitloppet, is expected to go off as the favorite, with Epic Kronos and Josh Power close behind in the betting. On almost any other track, a head-to-head between Epic Kronos and Francesco Zet would probably favor the latter seven times out of 10. Yet, despite 32 wins from 43 starts and more than SEK 26 million in earnings, Francesco Zet is still viewed as something of an outsider.
French horses can never be ruled out in the Prix d’Amérique. Behind Go On Boy there is a cluster of capable competitors, although many of them have shown questionable form in their preparatory races. Last year, warnings were already issued about Keep Going, then a 5-year-old, but he fell short. This year he secured his ticket by finishing second in the Prix du Bourbonnais, only to be completely outclassed by Epic Kronos in the Prix Tenor de Baune in December. It would take a minor miracle to have Keep Going peak in winning form on Sunday.
Five-year-old Bullet The Bluesky gained entry thanks to the wave of withdrawals, and Daniel Wäjersten expects a sharp performance. Another 5-year-old to watch closely is Sébastien Guarato’s Italian import Frank Gio, who has shown outstanding form in his recent starts. With the right cover trip, Frank Gio is fast enough to chase down the entire field in the stretch. The same confidence cannot be attached to his crop rival Lovino Bello, whose form remains uncertain and who has yet to show anything truly eye-catching in his latest appearances.
All eyes will be on Vincennes this weekend, where Saturday’s card features several top-class races alongside the Prix Bold Eagle. The $165,000 Prix Roquepine for 3-year-old fillies, $165,000 Prix Paul Viel for 3-year-old colts, $110,000 Prix du Luxembourg for the older elite, and $330,000 Prix Ourasi for 4-year-olds are just a few of the highlights. Fans will get to see horses such as Ginostrabliggi, Mack de Blary, Magic Night, Guglielmo Jet, and Golden Gio in the 4-year-old contest.
Liza Josselyn, Lombok Jiel, Free Time Jepson, and Liberte de Choisel add further sparkle to the Prix Bold Eagle, while the Prix du Luxembourg — as always — has attracted several horses that narrowly missed out on the Prix d’Amérique itself, making it an especially intriguing race.
All in all, it promises to be a fantastic weekend for anyone who loves harness racing.
THOUGHTS ON THE FIELD
HORSE (SIRE) — DRIVER — TRAINER
18. Go On Boy (Password) — Romain Derieux
“Will go off the favorite, quite logically, but he is by no means a stand-out winner. He had a fairly long break through autumn and early winter before making just two starts in December. He was not at his best then and should be fitter now, but his statistics over 2,700 meters at Vincennes are not exactly reassuring. Nine starts over the distance with just one win — and that came as a 4-year-old against his own age group — tells you something about this powerful closer, who arrives at this year’s Prix d’Amérique as the richest horse in the field.”
17. Francesco Zet (Father Patrick) — Benjamin Rochard — Daniel Redén
“Francesco Zet has proven on multiple occasions that he belongs among the very best trotters in the world, but in Paris he still has plenty to prove. He has tried Vincennes once before, and that attempt can fairly be described as a flop. The horse was unrecognizable, and after his Elitloppet appearance last year — where he behaved somewhat wildly pre-race — question marks have continued to surround this superstar. If those question marks turn into exclamation points on Sunday, then this could very well be the winner of the Prix d’Amérique.”
16. Hooker Berry (Booster Winner) — Damien Bonne — Antoine Lherete
“Winner of the Prix d’Amérique in 2023. He will not repeat that feat this year.”
15. Koctel du Dain (Boccador de Simm) — David Thomain — Philippe Allaire
“Koctel du Dain has been among the elite of his crop from the very start of his career and delivers consistently solid performances. That said, he appears to lack just a little in pure ability to stand on the top step of the podium on Sunday.”
14. Inmarosa (Amiral Sacha) — Léo Abrivard — Laurent-Claude Abrivard
“With strength few others in the field can match, Inmarosa cannot be ruled out. She won the Prix du Bourbonnais in impressive fashion and clearly deserves to be considered one of the main contenders. Vincennes suits her perfectly, and even if she has to do the work herself, she is capable of it.”
13. Hokkaido Jiel (Brillantissime) — Franck Nivard — Jean-Luc Dersoir
“A perennial outsider who has been close before in the Prix d’Amérique, finishing second behind Idao de Tillard two years ago. A very honest and solid horse, but winless since 2023, and it is hard to see that changing now.”
12. Just Love You (Love You) — Alexandre Abrivard — Laurent-Claude Abrivard
“Finished a surprising second behind Idao de Tillard last year, but has struggled to find peak form during this winter meeting. Unlikely to win.”
11. Josh Power (Offshore Dream) — Sébastien Ernault
“Perhaps the horse that has impressed the most in this season’s B-races. Secured his ticket by winning the Prix de Bretagne in November and has barely been seen since in two subsequent qualifiers. Will race barefoot again on Sunday and has a legitimate winning chance.”
10. Frank Gio (Face Time Bourbon) — Matthieu Abrivard — Sébastien Guarato
“One of three 5-year-olds in the field and a genuinely red-hot closer. Frank Gio will not win the Prix d’Amérique by grinding it out in the open, but if he gets the right cover trip, no one is safe in the final meters. A serious early contender.”
9. Lovino Bello (Village Mystic) — Clément Duvaldestin — Thierry Duvaldestin
“The second of the three 5-year-olds. Lovino Bello has matched Frank Gio closely for at least two seasons. He was completely outclassed in the Criterium Continental in December, but showed improved form next time when second behind Liza Josselyn. This is a horse with enormous ability if everything clicks, and trainer Thierry Duvaldestin is aiming to defend his titles from the past two editions.”
8. Bullet The Bluesky (Readly Express) — Daniel Wäjersten
“Dominated the Swedish 3-year-old crop two seasons ago and remained near the top last year, albeit without the same dominance. Crept through on the inside at Vincennes last time and finished fourth behind Liza Josselyn, Lovino Bello, and Lombok Jiel. According to the trainer, he has taken further steps forward in form, but something extraordinary will be required for him to win already this year. The big outsider.”
7. Keep Going (Follow You) — Mathieu Mottier
“A personal favorite. He has belonged among the elite of his generation in France and tried the Prix d’Amérique last year without success. Unfortunately, he does not show sparkling form coming into this edition, although his ability should still take him some way into the race. Not a hot win candidate.”
1. Harmony du Rabutin (Royal Dream) — David Bekaert – Guillaume Richard Huguet
“Caused an upset by finishing fourth in the Prix du Bourbonnais and should be satisfied with having made it this far.”
6. Epic Kronos (Muscle Hill) — Paul-Philippe Ploquin — Daniel Redén
“Is this Daniel Redén’s best chance ever to win the Prix d’Amérique? In 2017 he had four starters in the race and has consistently sent at least one horse to Paris every year, but victory has remained elusive. Epic Kronos’ performance in the Prix Tenor de Baune was sensational, and at that very moment he emerged as one of the leading favorites – even before several major rivals were scratched. Epic Kronos handles the distance, can do the hard work, and can sustain high speed for a long time. A major contender.”
5. Immortal Doc (Brillantissime) — Björn Goop — Fredrik Wallin
“Bloomed late in 2025, highlighted by victory in the Åby Stora Pris over 3,140 meters against the older elite. Since then, he has earned his place in Paris with several strong performances at Vincennes. A clear plus effort when second behind Epic Kronos in the Prix Tenor de Baune, followed by qualifying third in the Prix de Belgique two weeks ago. Hard to see him winning.”
4. J’Aime le Foot (Boccador de Simm) — Antoine Lherete
“Qualified fourth in the Prix de Bretagne and is unlikely to trouble the placings in this field.”
3. King Opera (Ready Cash) — William Bigeon
“A useful horse, but this task appears a bridge too far.”
2. Iroise de la Noe (Tornado Bello) — Eric Raffin — Thomas Levesque
“Won the Prix de Belgique two weeks before the Prix d’Amérique last year – and did so again this year. Comes into the race stronger with another year of hardening and with a top-class driver, even though Eric Raffin has yet to win a Prix d’Amérique despite many attempts. Iroise de la Noe is likely to face a tough trip in the open unless Raffin can send her away particularly fast early. She will be heavily backed. Why?”
RANKING:
A-horses
Inmarosa
Go On Boy
Epic Kronos
Francesco Zet
B-horses
Frank Gio
Josh Power
Keep Going
Iroise de la Noe
Bullet The Bluesky
Lovino Bello
C-horses
Immortal Doc
Koctel du Dain
Hokkaido Jiel
Just Love You
D-horses
Harmony du Rabutin
Hooker Berry
King Opera
J’Aime le Foot
IGUSKI SAUTONNE CONQUERS THE CORNULIER
Iguski Sautonne is not only a star in harness racing. On Sunday (Jan. 18), the 8-year-old stallion proved his class under saddle as well, capturing the $770,000 Prix de Cornulier at Vincennes with Alexandre Abrivard in the irons, thereby ending five years of female dominance in the world’s most prestigious monté race.
Down the final backstretch, Abrivard positioned Iguski Sautonne in the slipstream of the well-fancied It’s A Dollarmaker, before launching his own move turning for home.
In a tight finish between horses, Iguski Sautonne proved strongest over the final 30 meters, reeling in Jeroboam d’Erable and safely holding off Ina du Rib late.
Jeroboam d’Erable had raced outside the leader Hirondelle du Rib, but yielded second place to Ina du Rib in the final strides.
“I wanted so badly to win this race in front of my children, who are now old enough to understand what it means,” Abrivard told Equidia after the victory.
Trained by Matthieu Abrivard, Iguski Sautonne had previously attempted to qualify for the Prix d’Amérique twice during the winter meeting without success, finishing fifth in both the Prix de Bretagne and the Prix de Bourgogne.
He had only one prior monté appearance this winter, finishing third in the Prix Auguste François behind Jeroboam d’Erable and Impala de Val — a prerequisite start required to be eligible for the Cornulier. The Cornulier victory marked Iguski Sautonne’s second Group 1 triumph. Earlier highlights include a win in the Prix de l’Atlantique ($200,000) at Enghien and the Group 2 Grand Prix du Sud-Ouest ($200,000) at Beaumont-de-Lomagne.
KILIMANJARO FACE HEADING FOR THE U.S.
Winner of both the Danish Oaks and the StoSprint last season, Kilimanjaro Face now appears set for a new career across the Atlantic.
“Kilimanjaro Face is a very good mare, but I don’t believe she’s quite up to the European elite,” said Adrian Kolgjini.
“If she stays here and races in the STL circuit, she might earn around SEK 700,000–800,000 in a good season. In the U.S., she has a real chance to make serious money.”
Last year, Kilimanjaro Face (Googoo Gaagaa—Valentina Wind) earned just over SEK 1.8 million, bringing her career total to SEK 2,976,712.
“If she feels good after winter training, she’ll head to the U.S. in April,” Kolgjini said. “We’ll prepare her here using our winter program, then Lucas Wallin will take over in the spring.”
