by Thomas Hedlund

Saturday’s (Jan. 4) $125,000 Prix Maurice de Gheest for 3-year-old colts ended with a stakes record set by an Italian-bred horse.

Golden Gio (Face Time Bourbon), trained by Marco Smorgon and driven by Matthieu Abrivard, could rest in position third over pretty much the whole race and when Abrivard asked for more speed at the top of the stretch, Golden Gio easily disarmed the opponents in front of him.

A mile rate of 1:57.3 over 1.3 miles meant a new stakes record and Golden Gio is a future hope for Ecurie Bivans, well known owners behind horses like Vivid Wise As, Face Time Bourbon and Frank Gio.

The fillies battled in the $125,000 Prix Gelinotte on Sunday (Jan. 5) afternoon and Jean-Michel Bazire gave a perfect trip to Melba du Gers (Prodigious), who could profit on a journey behind leading favorite Magic America. Racing room appeared in the stretch and Melba du Gers sprinted to a safe win in a mile rate of 2:00.4 over 1.3 miles.

Ecurie Bivans’ success continued when earlier mentioned 4-year-old Frank Gio (Face Time Bourbon) held strong finisher Lombok Jiel behind him in the finish in $125,000 Prix Charles Tiercelin for 4-year-olds. Frank Gio was pushed to the front position with a half mile to go and driver Matthieu Abrivard concentrated on not giving racing room to pocket sitter Lombok Jiel too early and his tactics proved to be right. Frank Gio won in a mile rate of 1:59.4 over 1.6 miles.

Favorite Jack Tonic (Charly du Noyer) kept his chasers behind him in Sunday’s $100,000 Prix de Lille and Thierry Duvaldestin’s trotter has fought against some of the very best horses in the French J-crop throughout his career. It looks like he can hold on and develop even more among older competitors during the winter.

More France, but this time in the southern part, in Cagnes-sur-Mer, where the $125,000 Prix de la Cote d’Azur was held on Thursday (Jan. 9). Nine-year-old gelding Gino Viva (Sun Ceravin) did a great job capturing the win for Gabriele Gelormini. Gino Viva attacked three-wide at the backstretch and landed first over with a half mile to go. Already at the end of the last turn, before the long homestretch in Cagnes-sur-Mer, Gino Viva got the advantage of the race and he danced to a safe win in a mile rate of 2:00.2 over 1.7 miles.

LAST CHANCE TO REACH PRIX D’AMÉRIQUE

Sunday (Jan. 12) is the last chance for horses trying to qualify for the $1,050,000 Prix d’Amérique (Jan. 26) and only 15 trotters will enter the track of Vincennes when the $125,000 Prix de Belgique is on the card.

Hooker Berry, Just Love You and Justin Bold are already ready for the Prix d’Amérique and if one of those three horses finish top four in Sunday’s race, it opens it up for the trotters with the most earnings that are not yet set for the big race. Ampia Mede Sm, Don Fanucci Zet, Inmarosa and Happy And Lucky are the horses in the Prix de Belgique that are next in line for entering the Prix d’Amérique by earnings.

PRIX DE BELGIQUE 2025

2,850 meters

Horse – Driver

1. Iroise de la Noe – Thomas Levesque

2. Happy Danica – Alexis Garandeau

3. Harley Gema – Benjamin Rochard

4. J’Aime le Foot – Antoine Lherete

5. Juninho Dry – Paul-Philippe Ploquin

6. Justin Bold – Pierre Yves Verva

7. Ideal Ligneries – Jean-Philippe Monclin

8. It’s A Dollarmaker – Matthieu Abrivard

9. Mister Hercules – Francois Lagadeuc

10. Happy And Lucky – Adrien Lamy

11. Just Love You – Alexandre Abrivard

12. Inmarosa – Leo Abrivard

13. Don Fanucci Zet – Jean-Michel Bazire

14. Ampia Mede Sm – Vincenzo Alessandro, Jr.

15. Hooker Berry – Nicolas Bazire

HORSES ALREADY QUALIFIED FOR PRIX D’AMÉRIQUE:

Hussard du Landret

San Moteur

Hooker Berry

Just Love You

Josh Power

Emeraude de Bais

Hokkaido Jiel

Fakir de Mahey

Keep Going

Idao de Tillard

Go On Boy

Justin Bold