The Prix d’Amerique is more than just a race

It’s often said that the French do things right when it comes to harness racing—and that is certainly exemplified by the Prix d’Amerique—their premiere trotting contest held annually on the last Sunday in January that sports a purse of one million Euros ($1.4 million US).

This year celebrates the 103rd edition of the famed event, which typically draws 40,000 fans or more who pack Paris’ historic Vincennes racetrack to watch 18 of the world’s best diagonally gaited equines vie over 2,700 meters (1 & 5/8 miles).

The Prix d’Amerique was established in 1920 in honor of the United States’ entry into the First World war and is celebrated as such. While Vincennes itself is situated on 42-hectacres in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, the race is publicized throughout the “City of Lights” via posters, flyers, billboards, and rotating kiosks.

As well, the French version of the USTA, the PMU (Pari Mutuel Urbain) floods the airways and TV channels with eye-catching advertisements reminiscent of American Super Bowl or World Series media hype. Throughout the city, whether at the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, or famed restaurant Les Deux Magots, the harness racing fan will find a poster or papered kiosk boasting of the Prix d’Amerique.

In France, horses and horseracing are an integral part of the French agricultural society, as jobs directly related to the equine industry account for more than 100,000 occupations within the European nation.  Typically, there are over 150,000 horses in training, with more than 40,000 breeders and 12,000 owners who support some 17,000 races annually at 900 race meetings. When you consider that France is smaller than the state of Texas, those numbers are indeed impressive.

While Vincennes is definitely one of the most prestigious racetracks in France, the country has 252 racecourses as well as 7,100 equestrian training facilities. The races are regulated in their various disciplines by the French Galop (flat and jumping races) and by the Society for the Promotion of the French Horse (SECF-trotting), which was established in 1864 and works in tandem with the PMU—which handles France’s main horseracing wagering system and provides the country’s racing industry with 80% of its financing.

The nation’s Common Race Fund also grants subsides for operating expenses throughout all of France’s horseracing jurisdictions and helps to sustain racetrack operations. The PMU offers fans the ability to wager through numerous outlets, such as local coffee houses, interactive television, along with Internet and phone wagering. The PMU also has their own convenient shops or small cafes, where you can purchase newspapers, tobacco products, sweets, and light pastries, along with a strong cup of java.

In the smaller villages and Paris suburbs, these shops are known as bureaux de presse, and are often a dicey spot for the locals, who stop by to gossip and pick up an inside note on Prix d’Amerique contenders, trainers, and drivers.

Along with traditional trotting events on Prix d’Amerique day, the afternoon also plays host to a number of trotting under saddle races or “monte” events.  In addition, while there are a number of races that utilize a standard starting gate, the Prix d’Amerique itself does not. Instead, the 18 contestant-event starts horses by having them circle in a chute prior to the start. Horses are assigned post positions and a handicap, which might be 10, 20, or 30 meters.

The chute is marked with those handicap numbers and the assigned horses cannot start in front of those markers as the starter attempts to bring all the horses together in a straight line—in their respective positions.  Not an easy task, but once he gets them in a suitable line-up, he shouts “go” and the horses all make a scramble to get away in proper order as they travel more than a quarter of a mile down the long straightaway, which has a slight downward slope, before moving into the first turn.

Another noticeable difference that occurs in the Prix d’Amerique, as well as in many European trotting races, is that horses will often race three or four-wide, not content to “ride the rail” as so many horses do in this country.

Another exciting aspect of the Prix d’ Amerique is the pre-race hoopla—all with a red, white, and blue theme—that features bands, numerous horse breeds, and chariot events, to name just a few.

In conclusion, the Prix d’Amerique is more than just a race, it’s an event, and the French definitely do it right.  While North American fans can watch all the pre-race festivities via www.letrot.com, the race can be seen on your wagering streaming sites, as well as on TVG beginning at 9 am this coming Sunday.

For the complete field for the Prix d’Amerique, click here.

by Kimberly Rinker, for Harnesslink