The 6-year-old French top trotter Joshua Tree, with Jean Michel Bazire, showed his great class by winning the Group III race Prix de Cevennes on the first day of the Winter Meeting at Vincennes.
Joshua Tree has previously shown some uncertainty in races and has broken stride, but on Thursday afternoon he was the picture of reliability and won easily in 1:55.2 (mile rate) in the race over 1-3/4 miles.
Joshua Tree was well positioned in the field throughout, with Izoard Vedaquais and Benjamin Rochard setting a good pace in the lead.
Entering the home stretch, Bazire gave Joshua Tree the signal to go, and the big horse pulled away for a clear victory.
There was a hard fight for second place, which Ino du Lupin with Alexis Wels secured ahead of Izoard Vedaquais, while Josh Power with Sebastian Ernault finished fourth. The first prize was 40,500 Euros.
The next time Joshua Tree and other Prix d’Amerique contenders meet will be in the first qualifying race, Prix de Bourgogne, held on Nov. 16 at Vincennes.