Hooker Berry was crowned the 2023 Prix d'Amérique champion on Sunday afternoon (Jan. 29) at Hippodrome Paris-Vincennes in France, giving Jean-Michel Bazire his fifth victory in the Group 1 stakes event that carried a purse of €1,000,000 ($1.4 million CAD).
Don Fannucci Zet went to the front around the first turn of the 2,700-metre race and led the way into the homestretch with Horsy Dream, one of the favourites, challenging to his outside. However, Hooker Berry, who tracked cover three-wide down the backstretch, stole the show when he trotted clear off the final turn with trainer/driver Jean-Michel Bazire giving a celebratory kick in the air as they crossed the wire in front of the packed grandstand.
Bazire, who followed up his son Nicolas's victory in last year's race with Davidson du Pont, has now trained three Prix d'Amérique champions and driven a total of five winners -- his first in rein to the Hall of Fame mare Moni Maker in the 1999 edition. His last win was in 2019 with his own trainee Belina Josselyn.
After the race, Bazire told French media that he knew he was going to win once he launched his charge off cover and it is an immense pleasure to be associated with such a magnificent trotter.
Owned and bred by Michel Aladenise, Hooker Berry won the Prix du Bourbonnais qualifying leg in December and had €973,520 in career earnings entering the Prix d'Amérique. Making his 51st career start on Sunday a winning one, the six-year-old son of Booster Winner-Osaka Berry now has 13 victories on his resume to go along with 19 other top three finishes.
Completing the top three finish order in the Prix d'Amérique were Ampia Mede SM for driver Franck Nivard and Italiano Vero with David Thomain in the sulky.
The field was reduced to 16 starters with the scratches of Etonnant and Honey Mearas. According to reports from France, Etonnant was diagnosed with Lyme disease.