by Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Newsroom Senior Correspondent

When Jimmy Takter learned Sunday afternoon after the Prix de Bourgogne at Vincennes that Ready Cash had finished his career and that his driver Franck Nivard was now available for the Prix d’Amerique, Takter acted fast and contracted Nivard to drive Maven.

Gerard Forni photo

Franck Nivard and Jimmy Takter shake hands after Nivard agreed to drive Maven.

Franck Nivard is one of the leading drivers in France and has won 200 races so far this year — 34 of them in under saddle races.
Three times Nivard has won the Prix d’Amerique — twice driving Ready Cash and once behind Meaulnes du Corta.

Nivard will drive Maven for the first time in the Prix de Tenor de Baune on Jan. 11 at Vincennes. That race is for 6-year-old trotters over the 1-11/16 mile distance — the same distance as the Prix d’Amerique. The winner secures a spot in the Prix d’Amerique.

After the Prix de Bourgogne, which was the third test race for the Prix d’Amerique, Britihis bookmakers have ranked the French trotter Up and Quick as the 2-1 favorite followed by Texas Charm at 3-1 and Solvato 4-1. Maven is a longshot at 14-1.

Up and Quick was second in a dead heat with Tiego d’Etang behind the winner Solvato in the big race Sunday.