by Karsten Bonsdorf, USTA web newsroom correspondent
Vaillant Cash, a 2-year-old French colt, trotted a new French record on Wednesday afternoon (Dec. 21) at Vincennes, winning the biggest 2-year-old stake race, the Prix Emmanuel Margouty, in 1:58.4 (mile rate) raced over the 1-5/16th mile distance with a standing start.
The old record, held by Quenavo Jenilou, was 1:59.3.
Vaillant Cash was in command from the start and held off a late charge from Vegas des Oliviers (driven by Franck Anne and sired by first season sire Prodigious).
The winner is sired by Offshore Dream — the two-time winner of the Prix d’Amerique — who so far hasn’t been quite as successful as a stallion as he was on the track. The dam of Vaillant Cash was unraced.
Vaillant Cash is trained and was driven by Pascal Malicki, who took his first win on the year in 13 starts and the first at Vincennes since 1989.
Vaillant Cash raced for the seventh time and took his third victory. In earlier races he had the services of J. Ph Borodajko. The victory was worth $80,000 and Vaillant Cash now has lifetime earnings of $162,000.