by Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Newsroom Senior Correspondent

The French trotter Bold Eagle, driven by Franck Nivard, showed again that he is superior in his crop by winning the richest French international trotting race for 4-year-olds, Criterium Continentale, at Vincennes Sunday afternoon (Dec. 27).

Gerard Forni photo

Bold Eagle won the Criterium Continentale on Sunday.

Bold Eagle won comfortably in the 1-5/16th mile event in 1:52.3f (mile rate) followed by Italian trotter Specialess, driven by Roberto Andreghetti, who just edged out Bird Parker, driven by Yoann Lebourgeois, for second.

With the win Bold Eagle earned himself a spot in the Prix d’Amerique to be raced on Jan. 31 at Vincennes. Bold Eagle is — despite his age — considered the heavy favorite for the race at 2-1 by English bookmakers. Not since Offshore Dream won in 2007 has a 5-year-old trotter won the Prix d’Amerique.

Another trotter earned his spot in the Prix d’Amerique on Sunday. That was the Norwegian-bred Lionel, who won the Prix Tenor de Baune over the 1- 13/16th mile distance in 1:59 (mile rate), driven by Franck Nivard. Robert Bi and Akim du Cap Vert were second and third.

Nivard will stick with Bold Eagle in the Prix d’Amerique and Fabrice Souloy, who trains Lionel, will have to find another driver for that horse. Lionel has developed into a top trotter after joining the Souloy stable and the win Sunday afternoon was his ninth in 2015 from 15 races.