by Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Newsroom Senior Correspondent

The Jimmy Takter-trained Maven will have the 16-time French champion driver Jean Michel Bazire in the bike this Sunday afternoon (Jan. 11) in the Prix Tenor de Baune at Vincennes.

Jimmy Takter had made an agreement with another top French driver, Franck Nivard, to drive Maven, but Nivard had to forfeit the drive on Sunday with Maven as he trains a horse, Vulcan de Vandel, who is going to start in the same race.

Takter then turned to Bazire, who drove Moni Maker to victory in the Prix d’Amerique in 1999, and as he was free to drive in that race, he accepted the drive behind Maven.

However, Nivard will still be assigned to drive Maven in the Prix d’Amerique on January 25.

The Prix Tenor de Baune on Sunday is raced over the same distance as the Prix d’Amerique (2,700 meters or 1-11/16 miles) with a standing start. The race is for 6-year-old trotters and the total purse is $145,000.