by Karsten Bonsdorf, USTA web newsroom correspondent
Wishing Stone, the 2010 Kentucky Futurity winner, will make his third start in Europe this Sunday afternoon (April 10) in the prestigious Grand Prix du Sud-Ouest in Toulouse in Southern France.
This time it will be one of France’s leading drivers, Franck Nivard, who will be in the bike behind the American/Danish owned 4-year-old trotter.
Earlier in the week it was reported that Jean Michel Bazire — for several years the leading trainer/driver in France — would guide Wishing Stone, but Bazire, who has been sidelined since February 2 when he broke his leg in two places, didn’t feel 100 percent certain that he could return to racing Sunday.
Just a field of eight trotters has been engaged in the race, which has a total purse of $225,000. The distance is 1-5/16th miles and Wishing Stone has drawn post position seven. He is the likely favorite in the race.