The field has been determined for the 2020 renewal of the Grand Prix d'Amérique, a race that is celebrating its centennial anniversary this Sunday (Jan. 26) at Hippodrome de Vincennes in Paris.
Eighteen of the world's top trotters will contest the 2,700-metre (1-11/16 miles) race, which carries a purse of €900,000 (CAD 1.3 million).
Bold Eagle, who won the Prix d'Amérique in both 2016 and 2017, looks to bounce back from a two-race losing skid after posting a powerful 1:52 score on Canadian soil in last year's Breeders Crown.
The nine-year-old son of Ready Cash is approaching €5 million in career earnings, and looks to eclipse that mark after a second-place finish in the Group 2 Grand Prix du Bourbonnais on Dec. 8 and a fifth-place finish in the Group 2 Grand Prix de Bourgogne on Dec. 29. Eric Raffin is scheduled to drive Bold Eagle for trainer for trainer Sébastien Gaurato, who has declared three other starters in the field: Face Time Bourbon (Björn Goop), Valko Jenilat (Paul Philippe Ploquin) and Billie De Montfort (Gabriele Gelormini).
Another nine-year-old, Propulsion, won his last Vincennes appearance: the Group 2 European Trotting Masters finale on Sept. 7. The son of Muscle Hill — who began his career in the United States under the care of Tony Alagna — returns to France after a second-place finish to Elian Web in a Jan. 11 prep at Bergsåker in Sweden. Örjan Kihlström will drive the winner of €3.1 million for trainer Daniel Reden.
The field, with drivers and trainers, is as follows:
1. Excellent (A. Abrivard, L.C. Abrivard)
2. Chica De Joudes (A. Laurent, A. Laurent)
3. Looking Superb (D. Thomain, J.M. Bazire)
4. Vivid Wise As (Y. Lebourgeois, A. Gocciadoro)
5. Enino Du Pommereux (M. Abrivard, S. Roger)
6. Delia Du Pommereux (F. Nivard, S. Roger)
7. Davidson Du Pont (F. Ouvrie, J.M. Bazire)
8. Bahia Quesnot (J. Guelpa, J. Guelpa)
9. Face Time Bourbon (B. Goop, S. Guarato)
10. Miilligans School (A. Barrier, S. Melander)
11. Vitruvio (A. Gocciadoro, A. Gocciadoro)
12. Uza Josselyn (P. Vercruysse, R. Aebischer)
13. Valko Jenilat (P.Ph. Ploquin, S. Guarato)
14. Ringostarr Treb (J.Ph. Monclin, J. Riordan)
15. Billie De Montfort (G. Gelormini, S. Guarato)
16. Belina Josselyn (J.M. Bazire, J.M. Bazire)
17. Propulsion (O. Kihlstrom, D. Reden)
18. Bold Eagle (E. Raffin, S. Gaurato)
The Grand Prix d'Amérique is the seventh of 11 races at Vincennes on Sunday, and is due off at 4:10 p.m. local time (10:10 a.m. EST).