Paris, France — At Vincennes, two winners Sunday (Dec. 26) were handed an invitation to race in the prestigious Prix d’Amerique.

The Criterium Continental for 4-year-old trotters and Prix Tenor de Baune for 5-year-old trotters are rich races with 200,000 and 100,000 Euro in total prize money. And the winner in each race gets an invitation to race in the Prix d’Amerique.

Phillipe Allaire trains and owns Hohneck, who won the Criterium Continental, raced over 1-5/16 miles, in 1:53.1 (mile rate) with Francois Lagadeuc in the bike. Hohneck is now the richest French 4-year-old with lifetime earnings of $735,000.

Hohneck is sired by Prix d’Amerique winner Royal Dream (he by Love You) and out of a mare by Ready Cash.

In the Prix Tenor de Baune, raced over the same distance as the Prix d’Amerique (2,700 meters or 1-11/16 miles), the Italian mare Ampia Mede Sm was trying to win her ninth race in a row, but she went off stride around the last corner. She would probably not have been able to go past leading Galius (sired by Love You), who won in 1:56.3 (mile rate), driven by Yoann Lebourgeois

Galius, who is a very handsome chestnut trotter sired by Love You, had earlier established himself as a top trotter as he won the Criterium des 5 Ans, a championship race for 5-year-old French trotters.