2020 Prix d'Amérique

January 26, 2020 - Trotting, 2,700 meters, Paris-Vincennes

Preview: January 24, 2020

The world's most important trotting race is an exciting clash of generations this year. The old guard around Bold Eagle and defending champion Belina Josselyn gets challenged by keen younger trotters, with new superstar Face Time Bourbon leading the way.

Face Time Bourbon will be the Amérique favourite in the age of five already, even though he competed with older horses only a single time. His 18 victories from 21 starts are not the only reason for it, the confident and focussed way he runs is well convincing too. After he had won the Grand Prix de I'UET in a time of 1:10,7 in October, he got a two-month racing break ahead of the Paris winter meeting, which he terminated with victories in the Prix Octave Douesnel and Critérium Continental. The last five-year-old who had won the Prix d'Amérique after the Critérium Continental was Face Time Bourbon's half brother Bold Eagle back in 2015, also trained by Sébastien Guarato.

Davidson Du Pont is already seven years old but seems to be one of the horses, that are getting better with age, why he also represents a new generation. He ran his first group race in the age of five, won the Critérium des 5 ans the same year and then managed a fourth place in the Prix d'Amérique. After an eight-month-break he defended his Prix De Bretagne title in great style and saved energy in the other B-races. Though he ran with all irons in the Prix de Belgique on January 12, he demonstrated his class on the home stretch, came from the back of the field to finish third. Davidson Du Pont is one of the few older horses who already clashed with Face Time Bourbon, had been defeated by him in the Prix de Sélection in March.

Excellent is another colt who got time to develop at the beginning of his career. The six-year-old started to run on group level not too early, gave several strong performances lately, entered the Prix Ténor de Baune as second favourite and won it impressively. He improved the race record by more than one second to 1:11,6. Considering that the record of the Prix d'Amérique lies at 1:11,2, Excellent could make an impact there, provided he can hold his form. At his last test in the Prix de Belgique he got disqualified at the start.

Belina Josselyn triumphed in the 2019 Prix d’Amérique, she had already finished second and fourth in this race before. After her big success she also won the Prix de Paris over 4.150 meters in February, but left this race with a leg injury. That caused all sorts of speculations, as she was not seen on a racetrack until the end of October. The nine-year-old daughter of Love You took then part in all four B-races, but ran with all shoes and was never forced into action until the Prix de Belgique on January 12. Trainer and driver Jean-Michel Bazire let her go in that race, and she replied with an easy victory. Speculations about the end of her career have stopped since. Still, we do not really know how strong the title holder is, as the opposition in the Prix de Belgique was not truly expressive. The fact that Jean-Michel Bazire decided to drive her in the Amérique, and not Davidson Du Pont or Looking Superb, could be seen as an indication.

Bold Eagle, winner of the Prix d'Amérique 2016 and 2017, has been the dominating horse of the world's most prestigious trotting race the recent years. However, the 'Eagle' could not really keep up with the best horses lately, why one is wondering, that he is set for the Amérique again, even though he won the Canadian Breeders Crown in October. Different to other horses, Bold Eagle was sent to the B-races to win them. That did not work and was probably not the best for the morale of the former superstar.

Propulsion is Sweden's big hope this year, he had finished third, fourth and fifth in the Prix d'Amérique the last three years. Trainer Daniel Redén aims the 2020 Elitloppet with his nine-year-old son of Muscle Hill, but decided to send him to Paris again last Monday. Propulsion ended a racing break since October with a victory in Romme on December 28, but surprisingly got defeated in his last test at Bergsåker on January 11. So it is very hard to say in which condition he really is.

Delia Du Pommereux defended her title in the Prix du Bourbonnais on December 8, she beat Bold Eagle on the line there and must now be on the short list for the 2020 Prix d'Amérique. According to trainer Sylvain Roger, the seven-year-old mare was overloaded after her success last year and had already past her best in the Amérique. Therefore, Delia Du Pommereux saved strength in her last test, still ended fifth in the Prix de Belgique. Driver Franck Nivard won the Prix d'Amérique already five times.

Looking Superb has made astonishing improvements since he came from Norway to the French stable of Jean-Michel Bazire. His victory in the 2018 Prix Ténor de Baune followed a very strong second place in last year's Prix d’Amérique. The son of Orlando Vici kept on running the whole year 2019, but was not able to achieve any further success. A third place in the Prix De Bretagne guaranteed him a place in the Prix d’Amérique, afterwards he contested the following B-races with all irons. Also this JBM-charge could have a saying in the big race.

Vivid Wise As won the Prix Marcel Laurent ahead of Excellent in November. At the rematch in the Prix Ténor de Baune he lost all chances at the start, had a bad race in the Prix de Bourgogne too, still managed a third place and an 2020 Amérique ticket. The six-year-old, trained by Alessandro Gocciadoro, might be underestimated in the betting market. Vivid Wise As had clocked a time of 1:08,6 in Cagnes-sur-Mer in August. Like Face Time Bourbon he is owned by the Scuderia Bivans of the Italian Antonio Somma.

Enino Du Pommereux is the younger half brother of Delia Du Pommereux. He narrowly missed the Amérique qualification in two B-races, then almost won the Prix de Belgique, when got caught on the line by Belina Josselyn. Enino Du Pommereux had defeated Excellent twice last year, but was quite well beaten by him in the Prix Ténor de Baune most recently.

Billie De Montfort is one of the surprises in this year's winter meeting. The nine-year-old mare is running on group level since eight years already, she took part in the Prix d'Amérique twice, but has always been outsider in the biggest races. She gained her 2020 Amérique ticket with a third place in the Prix du Bourbonnais and then confirmed her 'second spring' with a victory in the Prix de Bourgogne on December 29 in a time of 1:10,6 (2,100 meters).

Bahia Quesnot passed the line in the Prix de Bourgogne just behind Billie De Montfort and gained her second Amérique participation. Like Billie De Montfort she is a nine-year-old mare, and like her she will be outsider on January 26. Bahia Quesnot could only win one of her 22 starts in 2019, the Algot Scotts Minne at Åby.

Uza Josselyn managed a seventh place in last year's Prix d'Amérique, she even came runner-up in the Prix de France ahead of Bold Eagle right afterwards. The nine-year-old daughter of Love You, owned and trained by the Swiss René Aebischer, took part in three B-races, where she came fourth twice. Surely she will not make it under the Top3 in the Amérique, still she can finish among the top ten.

Milligan’s School is Sweden's second chance in this year's Prix d'Amérique. The USA borne son of Yankee Glide won the 2018 Sundsvall Open Trot, but failed in the 1st heat of the 2019 Elitloppet. The seven-year-old proved that he is able to go longer distances when won the Gävle Stora Pris over 3,150 meters recently.

Ringostarr Treb will run the last race of his career in the 2020 Prix d'Amérique. The ten-year-old winner of the 2018 Elitloppet should not totally be underestimated due to his extensive experience. This summer the Italian had won the Hugo Åbergs Memorial and the Sundsvall Open Trot in Sweden. He had his first start since October in the Prix de Bourgogne, where he got disqualified.

Vitruvio, the third Italian in the field, was among the Amérique favourites after he had won the Oslo Grand Prix and the Ulf Thoresen Grand International in summer. However, his performances during the Paris winter meeting were well disappointing, he was chanceless in the Prix Marcel Laurent and the Prix Ténor de Baune. In that form it will obviously be very hart for the six-year-old in the Amérique too.

Chica De Joudes gained an Amérique ticket when came runner-up in the Prix De Bretagne. The eight-year-old mare will only be outsider there. Her victory in the Prix du Languedoc (Group 3) was her biggest success so far. In the Prix du Forez (Group3) she came only seventh on January 11.

Valko Jenilat is the oldest horse in the Amérique with eleven years. He did not start since October and will not have a chance but qualified through his prize money. The real reason behind his participation might be tactical considerations, as Sébastien Guarato has now four horses in the field.

Fixtures - Paris winter meeting 2019/20:
Nov. 17 - Prix De Bretagne (2.700 m - Davidson Du Pont)
Dec. 08 - Prix du Bourbonnais (2.850 m - Delia Du Pommereux)
Dec. 22 - Criterium Continental (2.100 m, 4j - Face Time Bourbon)
Dec. 22 - Prix Tenor de Baune (2.700 m, 5j - Excellent)
Dec. 29 - Prix de Bourgogne (2.100 m - Billie De Montfort)
Jan. 12 - Prix de Belgique (2.850 m - Belina Josselyn)
Jan. 26 - Prix d'Amérique (2.700 m - Face Time Bourbon)
Feb. 09 - Prix de France (2.100 m - Davidson du Pont)
Feb. 23 - Prix de Paris (4.150 m - Bélina Josselyn)