Two not so familiar names qualified Sunday afternoon (Dec. 24) at Vincennes for the Prix d’Amerique.

Eridan won the Criterium Continental. Gerard Forni photo.

In both the Prix de Tenor de Baune for 5-year-old trotters and the Criterium Continental for 4-year-old trotters, the winner automatically qualified for the 2019 Prix d’Amerique.

Norwegian-bred and owned Looking Superb has been trained the last two months by French champion Jean Michel Bazire, and though Looking Superb went into Sunday’s race, the Prix Tenor de Baune, with the least money won, he was able to post an easy victory, timed in 1:58 (mile rate) over the Prix d’Amerique distance of 1-11/16th miles.

Looking Superb might enter the field in the Prix d’Amerique as the horse with the lowest lifetime earnings ever, as after the win he has now earned 139,122 Euro.

In the Prix d’Amerique the conditions state that only trotters winning more than 180,000 Euro are entitled to race but Looking Superb qualifies because of his win.

Eridan, who won the Criterium Continental, driven by Eric Raffin, was last year one of the leading 3-year-olds in France, but until Sunday he had not made much noise in 2018.

It looked as though Italian trotter Vitruvio, driven by Alessandro Gocciadoro, was going to win, but Eridan finished strong and won the 1-5/16th mile event in 1:53.1 (mile rate). That equals the race record.