by Thomas Hedlund

Vincennes’ Saturday (Sept. 14) race card with the Criterium for 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds ended with some spectacular performances and upsets.

In the $335,000 Criterium des 4 ans, the victory went to Keep Going (Follow You), driven by Eric Raffin. Keep Going had to race on favorite Koctel du Dain’s outside, but that was nothing that bothered Keep Going and the upset was a fact when Matthieu Mottier’s trotter disarmed the leading favorite in the stretch.

Koctel du Dain was second and Ksar third when winner Keep Going noted a mile rate of 1:56.3 over 1.7 miles.

Raffin was also successful in the $335,000 Criterium des 3 ans as he drove Robert Jocelyn’s Lovino Bello (Village Mystic) to victory. Lovino Bello got the advantage over leader Lotta Bourbon and held favorite Lombok Jiel behind him in the finish. It was a mile rate of 1:57.3 over 1.6 miles for the winner.

Jushua Tree was the favorite when the 5-year-olds battled in the $335,000 Criterium des 5 ans, but Jean-Michel Bazire’s top trotter had to capitulate to Josh Power (Offshore Dream) and Sebastien Ernault. Ernault served his horse a perfect second over trip, covered by Jushua Tree who was settled outside of leader Justin Bold. In the last turn, racing room appeared for Josh Power and in mid-stretch it was clear that Ernault would win the prestigious race. Josh Power won the Criterium des 4 ans last year and he has belonged in the top of the strong J-crop in France for a long time, but Jushua Tree has been named as the foremost horse among the 5-year-olds. And Jushua Tree’s runner up performance was a high graded one, being three wide for a mile, first over thereafter and beaten by a horse who saved ground during the race. Just Love You finished third behind the top duo and Josh Power won in a strong mile rate of 1:55.3 over 3,000 meters.

BIG NAMES BATTLE IN BELGIUM

Saturday’s (Sept. 21) $160,000 Grand Prix de Wallonie in Mons, Belgium, will be a spectacular event as two of the best trotters in Europe will battle over 2,840 meters.

Idao de Tillard and Horsy Dream are definitely rank in the top of older trotters in Europe and Mons is to be congratulated for the nice field on Saturday.

GRAND PRIX DE WALLONIE 2024

Horse — Driver

1. Elvis du Vallon — Pierre Yves Verva

2. Horsy Dream — Eric Raffin

3. Hooker Berry — Nicolas Bazire

4. Idao de Tillard — Clement Duvaldestin

5. Ampia Mede Sm — Theo Duvaldestin

6. Hussard du Landret — Benoit Robin

7. Cash du Rib — Jean Loic Claude Dersoir

8. Go On Boy — Romain Derieux

9. Ganay de Banville — Jean-Michel Bazire

10. Cicero Noa — Sidney van den Brande

11. Cyriel d’Atom — Hanna Huygens