by Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Newsroom Senior Correspondent

For the third time in the last four years, the 9-year-old French trotter Timoko, driven by Björn Goop, won the Grand Criterium de Vitesse de la Cote d’Azur.

Goop directed Timoko to the lead with five-eighths of a mile to go and won easily by two lengths in 1:53, followed by Oasis Bi, driven by Johnny Takter and Luckycharm Hanover, driven by Yannick A. Briand.

The purse for winner was $100,000 and Timoko now has lifetime earnings of $4.4 million; he is the richest active French trotter. Timoko is $332,000 short of Ready Cash, who is the all-time leading French trotter.

Timoko won the race in 2013, driven by Jos Verbeeck, and last year it was Björn Goop of Sweden who was in the sulky. Timoko did not participate in the race in 2014.

After the race Richard Westerink, who trains Timoko, was handed an invitation to the Elitlopp, which he accepted. Timoko is the first trotter to be invited to the 2016 Elitlopp in Stockholm.

The Grand Criterium de Vitesse is the richest mile race in France and had a total purse of $225,000. The race record is held by legendary Varenne, who won in 2002 in 1:52.