by Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Maven got her final preparation at Vincennes on Thursday (Jan. 22) at 12 noon, local time, before the upcoming Prix d’Amerique on Sunday (Jan. 25).

Gerard Forni photo

Maven with Jimmy Takter on Thursday at Vincennes.

Jimmy Takter was in the bike behind the mare and he was very satisfied after the workout.

“She felt very sharp, and I am very happy with her,” Takter told French journalists.

Maven will race without shoes in the Prix d’Amerique; this is very common in the race, as a total of 15 trotters will race without shoes.

The Prix d’Amerique is the sixth race on the card and will be raced at 4:20 p.m., local time. That is 10:20 a.m. (EST) in the United States.

A total of 18 trotters were declared for the Prix d’Amerique. Besides Maven (Glidemaster), Solvato (Donato Hanover) is USA-bred, but the Danish trotter Tumble Dust (Crazed) was conceived in the United States and his dam was sold to Denmark connections at a later time, where she foaled him.

Three mares will take on the boys in the Prix d’Amerique; the distance is 1-11/16 miles and the total purse is $1.15 million (the winner gets $520,000).

Here is the field, with listed drivers: 1. Vulcain de Vandel (FR)–Franck Nivard, 2. Tumble Dust (DK)–Jos Verbeeck, 3. Voltigeur de Myrt (FR)–Gabriele –Gelormini, 4. Solvato (US)–Ôrjan Kihlström, 5. Olmo Holz (IT)–Christophe Martens, 6. Linda di Casei (IT)–Alessandro Gocciadoro, 7. Aladin d’Ejeceul (FR)–Mathieu Abrivard, 8. Kadett CD (SE)–Robert Bergh, 9. Mosaique Face (SE)–Pierre Vercruysse, 10. Uhlan du Val (FR)–Cedric Megissier, 11. Severino (FR)–David Bonne, 12. Napoleon Bar (IT)–Enrico Bellei, 13. Texas Charm (FR)–Julien Dubois, 14. Maven (US)–Yannick Gingras, 15. Up and Quick (FR)–Jean Michel Bazire, 16. Tiego d’Etang (FR)–Charles Bigeon, 17. Timoko (FR)–Bjørn Goop, 18. Roxane Griff (FR)–Eric Raffin.