by Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Senior Internet Correspondent

French trotting sensation Bold Eagle, driven by Franck Nivard, was only jogging when he won the prestigious Criterium des 5 Ans at Vincennes Saturday afternoon (Sept. 3).

Bold Eagle took an early lead and won the 1-7/8-mile event in 1.59 (mile rate) followed by Belina Josselyn, who was driven by Jean Michel Bazire. The purse for the winner was $120,000 and so far this year Bold Eagle has earned $1.25 million. This was his eighth victory in a Group 1 race.

Gerard Forni photo

Bold Eagle jogging at Vincennes.

Bold Eagle is sired by Ready Cash and this stallion seems to currently rule in France Ready Cash is not only the sire of the best 5-year-old trotter, Bold Eagle, but also the best 4-year-old, Charly du Noyer and the best 3-year-old, Django Riff.

Django Ruff was in action too at Vincennes and won a Group II race with a purse for the winner of $60,000.

Ready Cash is also the sire of the best 3-year-old filly, Dawana, who also won Saturday afternoon at Vincennes. So no less than three Group races for Ready Cash in one afternoon.

In Italy, the international stake race, Campionato Europeo, was raced at the half-mile track in Cesena.

The race is a heat race and the winner was found after a race-off between the two heat winners, Ringostarr Treb, driven by Roberto Vecchione, and Peace of Mind, driven by Enrico Bellei.

Ringostar Trebb won the race-off in 1.59.3h and took home a purse of $77,000.