After a seven-year campaign across Europe culminating to a cross-Atlantic victory in the Breeders Crown Open Trot last year, Bold Eagle stepped off the racetrack for the final time.
Originally, the nine-year-old son of Ready Cash was slated to make his final starts in North America, competing in the Maple Leaf Trot and capping his career following the Breeders Crown Open Trot on Oct. 31 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. However, due to the ongoing pandemic, the connections changed plans and slated Bold Eagle’s swan song for Saturday (Aug. 2) in the Grand Prix de Wallonie in Mons, Belgium—a race he won in 2019.
Driven by Hugues Monthule, Bold Eagle finished fourth in his final start to tempo-setter Face Time Bourbon, winner of the 2020 Prix d’Amerique.
Bold Eagle retires the second-richest trotting French bred ever with 4,990,967€ earned—sitting slightly behind the richest trotting French bred ever Timoko, who earned 5,006,731€ in his career. Atop his long catalogue of achievements is his completion of the French Triple Crown in 2017—winning the Prix d’Amerique, Prix de France and Grand Prix de Paris in 2017. Only three other horses in the history of French harness racing have ever completed the French Triple Crown.
With his victory at Woodbine Mohawk Park last year, Bold Eagle became the fourth European to win in the Breeders Crown Open Trot, following Varenne (2001), Equinox Bi (2007) and Commander Crowe (2014).
Sebastien Guarato campaigned Bold Eagle through his career for owner Ecurie Pilarski. Jean Etienne Dubois bred the trotting champion.