by Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Sensational French trotting star Bold Eagle can pick up a total of $535,000 on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 28) at Vincennes, Paris, France.

Bold Eagle, driven by Franck Nivard, goes to post in the prestigious Prix de Paris and if he wins again, he will not only pick up the winner’s purse of $210,000, but he will collect a unique bonus of $325,000 as the winner of a Grand Slam, which consist of the Prix d’Amerique, Prix de France and Prix de Paris. Those are the three biggest international trotting races during the Winter meeting at Vincennes.

Not since 1976, when legendary Bellino II won the three races, has a trotter won the big three and Bold Eagle would be the first 5-year-old trotter ever to do it.

Over the years only three trotters have managed to win the three races. The mare Gelinotte did it twice (1956 and 1957) and Jamin (1959) were the others besides Bellino II.

Twelve trotters were entered in the race; the distance is 4,150 meters or approximately 2-1/2 miles.

The startlist:

1. Orient Horse (It) – Alessandro Gocciadoro
2. Ursa Major (Fr) – Gabrielle Gelormini
3. Tagada Tagada (Fr) – Mathieu Abrivard
4. Unice de Guez (Fr) – Jean Michel Bazire
5. Athos des Elfes (Fr) – Joel van Eeckhaute
6. Lionel (No) – Ôrjan Kihlström
7. Athena de Vandel (Fr) – Cedric Megissier
8. Kadett CD (Se) – Dominik Locqueneux
9. Bird Parker (Fr) – Jean Philippe Monclin
10. Tiego d’Etang (Fr) – Charles Bigeon
11. Bold Eagle (Fr) – Franck Nivard
12. Timoko (Fr) – Björn Goop