Harness: Face Time Bourbon victorious in Prix d'Amerique prep race

Defending Prix d'Amérique champion Face Time Bourbon has now won two of the qualification races for this year's edition of the great race at Vincennes Racecourse in France as he captured today's Group 2 Prix d'Amerique Races Qualif #5 Prix de Bourgogne, joining his score back in December's Group 2 Prix d'Amérique Races Qualif #2 Prix du Bourbonnais.

Driven by Björn Goop for trainer Sébastien Guarato, Face Time Bourbon battled two-wide into the stretch with Davidson Du Pont (Jean-Michel Bazire). Davidson Du Pont beat Face Time Bourbon in the 2020 Grand Prix de France, but he wouldn't do the same on this day, as Face Time Bourbon powered by him to take the lead, and from there, Face Time Bourbon gamely held off rallying bids by Vivid Wise AS (Alessandro Gocciadoro) and Delia Du Pommereux (David Thomain) to win in a KM rate of 1'10"4 (mile rate 1:53 2/5) for the 2,100 meters.

"This is wonderful; it is a driver's dream to be associated to such a champion," Goop told Equidia. "Today, he was not at his best, but he will be in four week's time. He always wants to win. Today, I had very good feelings indeed."

A 6-year-old stallion by Ready Cash, Face Time Bourbon now has a record of 28 wins and four seconds from 33 career starts and has earned well over 2 million Euros. He is owned by Scuderia Bivans SRL.

"We had some emotions towards the end, the last meters were difficult," added Guarato. "He will be better, hidden in the pack, in the great final, within four weeks. Only a very strong horse can beat him."

There is one more qualification race on January 17, the Prix d'Amérique Races Qualif #6 Prix de Belgique, before the Prix d'Amerique Legend Race on January 31. The list of horses qualified thus far are Face Time Bourbon, Vivid Wise AS, Delia Du Pommereux, Diable de Vauvert, Feliciano, Bahia Quesnot, Victor Ferm, Moni Viking, Gu d’Héripré, and Féérie Wood.