Two-Year-Olds - Action in France

December 20, 2017 – Today’s Paris-Vincennes program showcased harness racing two-year-old fillies in the Prix des Freesias (purse €35,000, 2175 meters, 14 starters) and four of them were a length apart on the line with the 1.16.1kr timed win going to 4.9/1 Famille Royale (2f Village Mystic-New York) for breeder/owner/trainer/driver Louis Baudron. 48/1 Flore de Janiero (2f Vanishing Point-Ozzie de Janiero) was second for owner/trainer Franck Blandin and driver Adrien Blandin. 15/1 Family Queen (2f Rocklyn-Queen Along) was third for Jean Philippe Dubois, his Ecurie Victoria Dreams and trainer Pierre Moulin. 6.1/1 Firefly (2f Ready Cash-Topaze Bourbon) was fourth for Matthieu Abrivard, owner Jean Pierre Dubois (breeder through Scuderia Bolgheri Srl) and trainer Yves Boireau. Fifth was 8.5/1 Freegate Island (2f Timoko-Agneska) for trainer/driver Bjorn Goop and owner P&D Bronsman AB.

Lightly raced three year olds battled in the Prix de Gencay (purse €36,000, 2700 meters, 13 starters) and victory went to 9/2 odds Equateur Mauzun (3m Ready Cash-Strawinska Mauzun) for trainer/driver Pierre Vercruysse. Comte Paul de Senneville bred and owns the winner that now has four career wins in five outings. 30/1 Eskandar (3g Ganymede-Sirene) was second for Damien Bonne, trainer Thierry Raffegeau and owner J.Y, Roze. Third was 8.3/1 Elencio (3m Love You-Olencia) for Matthieu Abrivard and Alphonse Vanberghen, the breeder/owner/trainer.

The monte Prix de Jonveille (purse €35,000, 2175 meters, 14 starters) went to 11/1 and 1.12.8kr timed City Girl (5f Paris Haufor-Inlie Girl) with trainer/jockey Damien Bonne up. 8.7/1 Cornaline d’Orient (5f Coktail Jet-Topaze d’Orient) was a four length second for trainer/jockey Romain Derieux. 3.3/1 Californie of Love (5f Opium-Quia) was third for David Thomain and trainer Sebastien Ernault.

Two year olds were also in the spotlight at Cagnes sur Mer in the Prix Fleuron Perrine where 12 youngsters raced over 2150 meters autostart for €16,000. The 1.18.4kr timed winner was 9/2 Funky Girl (2f Uhlan du Val-My Lovely Girl) for breeder/owner/trainer/driver Louis Baudron. 6.6/1 Forever Ceke (2m Prodigious-Salome) for Christophe Martens and  Ceke Farm BVBA. Third home was 6.2/1 Flower Wood (2f Jasmin de Flore-Usha Dream) for David Bekaert, owner Jean Pierre Dubois. Trainer Yves Boireau and breeder Scuderia Bolgheri Srl. 2.8/1 Formosa (2f Gobernator-Vesta du Vivier) driven by Alexandre Abrivard, Ecurie des Charmes and trainer Yannick Alain Briand. The result was rich in Dubois pedigree. The winner’s dam is by Coktail Jet from legendary Guilty Of Love (And Arifant-Amour d’Aunou, she a daughter of Nesmile, the dam of Buvetier d’Aunou, Defi d’Aunou and Extreme Aunou). Guilty Of Love produced superstar sire Love You, Nice Love, Perhaps Love, In Dix Huit and Repeat Love). The dam of third finishing Flower Wood is Usha Dream (Goetmals Wood-Island Dream-Coktail Jet). Island Dream produced Infinitif and Not Disturb. Wow!!!

Watch the Christmas Weekend action in Paris.

Thomas H. Hicks