by Karsten Bønsdorf

The 7-year old chestnut mare Roxanne Griff won the first prep race, the Prix de Bretagne, for the Prix d’Amerique at Vincennes Saturday afternoon in a hand drive from Eric Raffin in an new race record of 1.56.3 (mile rate).

The Prix de Bretagne is raced over same the distance as the Prix d’Amerique, 2700 meters or 1-11/16 mile, and carried a total purse of $150,000 Euro.

Last year Roxanne Griff finished second in this race to Ready Cash, who was absent this year.

She has raced 13 times this year with 4 wins, 5 seconds, and 2 thirds, earning $1.1 million.

She finished second to Ready Cash in last year’s Prix d’Amerique and will definitely have a shot in January again.

The Prix de Bretagne saw the Swedish entry Quarcio du Chene, with Bjorn Goop, as the leader most of the trip but he was too headstrong and tired and finished fifth.

In Sweden the “Tarzan” Melander stable continued their success at Solvalla and won the Silverhorse over 1-5/16 mile with Friction driven by Ôrjan Kihlström in 1.55f.

The Solvalla Grand Prix for 4-year-old trotters, raced over 1-5/16 mile was won by the mare Vincennes, driven by Ulf Ohlsson in 1.56.3f.

Vincennes is now headed in the direction of Vincennes, where the plan is to race her in the Criterium Continental around Christmas.