Spring meeting set to begin at Vincennes
by Thomas Hedlund
The winter meeting at Vincennes concluded on Feb. 28, and this Saturday (March 21) the spring meeting gets underway.
A total of $16,781,000 in prize money will be contested between March 20 and June 29 at the Parisian oval.
The overall structure remains familiar — but with a historic change.
The major talking point is the transformation of the Prix René Ballière. Traditionally a Group 1 event, the race has now been downgraded to Group 2, extended to 2,700 meters, and — most notably — opened to geldings.
This is a strategic move aimed at allowing the best older trotters — regardless of gender — to compete against each other in a revamped series of major races.
Another administrative adjustment sees the popular Friday night cards starting slightly later than last year, with opening night scheduled for May 15.
THE SPRING PROGRAM IS EXTENSIVE AND DISTRIBUTED AS FOLLOWS:
• Vincennes: 36 race days (March 20 – June 29)
• Caen: 18 race days
• Enghien: 12 race days
A total of five Group 1 races will be contested. Four of them will be held on Vincennes’ flagship day, June 21, while the fifth is the Prix de l’Atlantique at Enghien.
The total purse for the Vincennes spring meeting amounts to nearly $16.8 million, with an average of approximately $56,885 per race. In total, 295 races will be run — nine more than during last year’s corresponding meeting.
FOR OLDER HORSES — NOW INCLUDING GELDINGS — A SERIES OF FIVE MAJOR RACES HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED:
• Prix du Bois de Vincennes — March 20
• Prix Kerjacques — April 4
• Prix des Ducs de Normandie — May 9
• Prix Chambon P — June 6
• Prix René Ballière — June 21
One of the key highlights of the spring is the Prix de l’Atlantique at Enghien on April 18.
The race was won in 2025 by Iguski Sautonne and traditionally marks the beginning of the international spring campaign.
INEXESS BLEU SET FOR SEASONAL DEBUT
One of Europe’s very best trotters of 2025, Inexess Bleu (Vittel de Brevol), is set to make his seasonal debut.
The Laurent-Claude Abrivard-trained gelding is expected to start in the $105,000 Prix du Bois de Vincennes at Vincennes on Saturday (March 21).
Inexess Bleu capped his campaign by winning the $540,000 UET Elite Circuit final for older trotters at Solvalla, and prior to that he enjoyed a highly successful stint at Vincennes with six victories during last year’s winter meeting.
BACK-TO-BACK VICTORIES FOR DANY CAPAR IN FLORENCE
For the second consecutive year, Dany Capar and Alessandro Gocciadoro captured the $190,000 Gran Premio Duomo in Florence.
Making his seasonal debut, Dany Capar controlled the race from the front and was never seriously challenged.
In the stretch, Banderas Bi found racing room and launched a late bid, but could not get closer than a length as the 7-year-old Dany Capar (Exploit Caf—Sueia della Luna) held safely to the line in 1:53.3, equaling Urlo dei Venti’s track record from 2018.
When the gate released the field, Dany Capar blasted straight to the lead, while stablemates Free Time Jepson and Always Ek both made early breaks and were out of contention.
Björn Goop made an early move with Ideal San Leandro, launching from fourth-over with 1,200 meters to go, but met a response from Funny Gio, who advanced to the outside of the leader with more than a lap remaining.
Ideal San Leandro was left three-wide and was already under pressure down the backstretch.
Banderas Bi (Ganymede) angled out in the stretch and finished well, but had to settle for second, while Funny Gio (Face Time Bourbon), also trained by Gocciadoro, held on for third.
