Generaal Bianco wins Breeders Crown

December 1, 2015 – At Wolvega in The Netherlands, was their featured Breeders Crown for two year-olds (purse €15,000, 1609 meters autostart, 13 starters) and the sharp 1.14kr winner (mile rate 1:59.06) was 36/1 odds Generaal Bianco (2m Ufo Kievitshof-Zaskia Fortuna) handled by trainer/driver Rob De Vlieger for owner Merwestall Moerdijk BV. Stablemate and 9/10 favorite Galvani Boko (2m Eilean Donon-Azeri Boko) was a close second for trainer/driver Dion P. Tesselaar for the same owner as the winner. 10/1 Griff Jr. (2m Zola Boko-Memory Boko) was third for Robin Bakker, trainer Paul Hagoort and owner Rataplan Stable.

Interestingly the winner’s sire Ufo Kievitshof (Supergill-She’s Got It All-Balanced Image) was a winner of US$228,314 and his dam is a daughter of Yentl, dam of Yentls Image (US$234,909), Amesbury (US$366,240) and the great Yentls Iceman (US$443,925), this one third in the Maple Leaf Trot at age five and a year later winner of the Su Mac Lad. The dam of the third finisher, Memory Boko, is a daughter of Barbeque-Kate Lobell, Kate Lobell being a 1988 foal of Speedy Somolli-Keystone Pioneer (US$1,071,927), Pioneer the winner of the Hambletonian Oaks and Kentucky Futurity and later in a storied racing career the winner of the Canadian Trotting Classic, Copenhagen Cup, and Titan Cup. Pioneer’s dam, Passing Speed, also produce Keystone Patriot 9US$1,094,100) that won the Sweden Cup and Italy’s Lotteria.

Valet d’As took the Wolvega Championnat des Trotteur Francais Finale (purse €12,500, 2600 meters autostart, 8 entrants) clocked in 1.16.3kr for driver Hugo Langeweg Jr. 4.9/1 Tournis Chouan was second for Jos. Verbeeck and trainer H-A-J Grift with third to the 2.3/1 Barolo Bleu teamed by Rick Ebbinge.

Today’s Paris-Vincennes Prix de Gisors (purse €65,000, 2700 meters, 12 starters) went to 1.1/1 favorite Boss du Meleuc (4g Lucky Blue-Rafale du Meleuc) reined by Eric Raffin for owner/trainer Y-A Briand. 4.1/1 Bolide Jenilou (4g Kesaco Phedo-Meloidie Jenilou) took second for Anthony Barrier in a driving finish that just missed. A length back in a photo was third finishing 19.3/1 Baron du Chene (4m Goetmals Wood-Imperiale du Chene) for Mathieu Mottier, the pilot for trainer Franck Leblanc. The winner was clocked in 1.13.2kr.

The Quinte+ (jackpot €3,6 million) of the day was the Prix des Pyrenees at Paris-Vincennes (purse €50,000, 2700 meters, 18 European starters) and the 1.13.5kr timed winner was 15/1 Viking du Pilet (6g Kuadro Wild-Indra du Pilet) handled by Franck Ouvrie. 10/1 Donttellmeanymore (6g Andover Andover-Possessive Lilly) from Sweden’s Wallen Invest was second teamed by Franck Nivard for trainer Fabrice Souloy. 45/1 Volean du Garabin (6g Norman Jet-Dulcinee Gibus) was a close third for reinsman Gabriele Gelormini and trainer Mmr. A.F. Donati. Longshots at the top if the ticket generated a favorable exact order payoff.

The Prix de Luon (purse €38,000, 2700 meters, 15 starters) went to the 1.14.4kr winner Be Unlimited (4g Prodigious-Limited Edition) driven by Jean-Philippe Dubois for his Ecurie Victoria Dreams and trainer Philippe Moulin. Off at 49/1 Be Unlimited defeated 8/1 Bolido Bello (4g Roc Meslois-Hedera de Bellouet) handled by Alexandre Abrivard for trainer/owner L.Cl. Abrivard. Third was 35/1 Brio de Faverol (4g Nahar de Beval-Pallida de Faverol) for trainer/driver Sylvain Roger.

At Son Pardo (Spain) the featured Final Torneig 2015 (purse €12,000, 2650 meters, 10 starters) went to 4/5 favored Suzuka (9f Kitko-Judith du Bouffey) for driver/trainer J-A Riera and the jubilant team defeated 20/1 Uka sw Clarlande (7f Gazouillis-Lara de Clerlande). Third was 8.3/1 Sister Kin (9f Jam Pridem-Barkorea). The winner was clocked in 1.17.3kr,

Thomas H. Hicks