Harness: Impressive victory by Vivid Wise AS in Prix de France

Vivid Wise AS lowered the stakes record in winning Sunday's Prix de France Speed Race at Vincennes Racecourse in Paris.

After ending up positioned third-over, driver Matthieu Abrivard angled Vivid Wise AS out four-wide coming off the final bend, and he powered by rivals in the stretch on his way to an open-length win over Delia Du Pommereux and Zacon Gio. Prix d'Amerique champion Davidson du Pont, who raced uncovered and two-wide most of the race, wound up ninth.

The final time was 1'09"7 (mile rate of 1:52 1/5) for the 2,100 meters, lowering Delia du Pommereux's mark of 1'09"8 set a year ago.

Vivid Wise AS, who earned 180,000 Euros with the victory, is American-bred throughout, being by Yankee Glide and out of Temple Blue Chip (Cantab Hall). Temple Blue Chip raced in the U.S. in 2011 and 2012 for Trond Smedshammer and is from the family of Muscles Yankee. Vivid Wise AS, an 8-year-old, is trained by Alessandro Gocciadoro for owner Scuderia Bivans SRL, best known as the majority owner of the recently-retired Face Time Bourbon.

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"Vivid Wise As finally showed what he is capable of today. Vivid Wise As is a phenomenon, and we will see him now at Cagnes-sur-Mer and then in the Prix de l'Atlantique," said victorious owner Antonio Somma.