Bold Eagle chasing French Triple Crown and lucrative bonus
February 25, 2017,by Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Internet Newsroom Senior Correspondent
French trotting sensation Bold Eagle with regular driver Franck Nivard in the bike is chasing $510,000 Sunday afternoon (Feb. 26) at Vincennes, in Paris, France.
Bold Eagle will race in the Grand Prix de Paris – a testing race over 2-5/8 mile – and if he wins, he will not only take home the purse for the winner of $190,000, but also a bonus of $320,000 for winning the French Triple Crown (Prix d’Amerique, Prix de France and Prix de Paris).
Bold Eagle had the chance last year too, but had to settle for second behind Norwegian trotter Lionel driven by Ôrjan Kihlström. Lionel is again in the field and will try to copy the victory from last year.
History is against Bold Eagle. Not since 1976 has a trotter won the three biggest international races in the winter meeting at Vincennes. In 1976 Bellino II did it as just the third trotter ever. The first one to win the big three was the mare, Gelinotte, who managed to do it twice in 1956 and 1957 and in 1959 Jamin did it.
A field of 13 trotters are entered in the Grand Prix de Paris, which is scheduled to start tomorrow at 9:15 a.m. (Eastern).
You can follow the race at www.letrot.com.
- Bold Eagle trots to Triple Crown triumph (Sunday, February 26, 2017)
The 6-year old French trotter Bold Eagle, driven by Franck Nivard, won the third leg of the French Triple Crown, the Grand Prix de Paris, easily on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 26) at Vincennes in Paris, France.This was the first time since Bellino II in 1976, that a trotter won the Prix d’Amerique, Prix de France and Prix de Paris, which are the three big international races during the winter meeting.