Paris — A break during the race almost cost He and Me the win in Sunday’s (Feb. 22) major French event, the Prix de Paris.
He and Me, with Eric Raffin in the sulky, convincingly won the demanding Prix de Paris, contested over 4,150 meters (approximately 2-5/8 miles) at Vincennes.
The winner’s purse was €180,000, and with Group 1 status, the triumph adds a valuable credential to He and Me’s future as a breeding stallion.
However, He and Me came close to being disqualified.
With about 1,100 meters remaining — when attacks were coming from behind and He and Me was passed while racing outside leader Just Love You (driven by Alexandre Abrivard) — the horse took cover behind Francesco Zet (Benjamin Rochard). At that moment, He and Me lost his stride and broke into a gallop.
The stewards reviewed the incident after the finish, but since He and Me galloped for “only” 14 strides, he was permitted to keep the victory — 15 strides would have resulted in disqualification.
He and Me was bred by legendary French horseman Jean-Pierre DuBois and is trained by his grandson Julien DuBois.
He and Me, who was sidelined with an injury for most of 2025 and raced only once that year, is sired by Bird Parker, whose own sire is Ready Cash.
After He and Me, the French mare Harmony du Rabutin (David Bekaert) finished second while Ibiki de Houelle (Alexis Colette) took third place. Sweden’s Francesco Zet had to settle for fourth place.