by Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Senior Internet Correspondent

Wild Honey, the 2015 Hambletonian Oaks winner, will race in the Prix de Belgique at Vincennes Sunday afternoon (Jan. 15) and if the now 5-year old mare performs well, she will race in the Prix d’Amerique in a fortnight.

Owned by the big Swedish Zet Stable and trained by Daniel Redén, Wild Honey, will have the services of the French top driver Franck Nivard. However, he will have to forfeit the mare if she races in the Prix d’Amerique, as he is the regular driver behind the heavy favorite Bold Eagle.

The Prix de Belgique is raced over 1-3/4 miles and this will be only the second time that Wild Honey has raced over such an added distance. On Nov. 5, 2016 she won a race in Sweden over 1-5/8 miles and Redén believes that she will again handle the distance at Vincennes Sunday afternoon.

Redén writes history in the Prix de Belgique as he is the first trainer ever to start five trotters. In addition to Wild Honey, Redén will start another North American trotter in Propulsion with Norwegian trotter Lionel and the two Swedish trotters Call me Keeper and Trinity Zet.

Seventeen trotters are engaged in the race and the first three finishers will earn a spot in the Prix d’Amerique. However, three of the participants are already qualified that contest: Propulsion, Lionel and Belina Josselyn.