French mare to U.S. stallion?

The Prix de France, with a purse of about $500,000 on the line, will be held Sunday in Paris at the Vincennes racetrack, and among the 16 possible starters is the French mare Mara Bourbon, who will be retired after this start and then possibly bred to Andover Hall.

The Prix de France is the sprinter race of the three big trotting events during the winter meet at Hippodrome Paris-Vincennes. It is raced over a distance of 2,100 meters, or about 1 1/4 miles.

While there are presently 16 possible starters, only the nine with the highest lifetime earnings will have a position on the mobile starting gate on Sunday. Other possible starters are Jag de Bellouet, Kesaco Phedo, Mara Bourbon, Conny Nobell, Naglo Lady d'Auvrecy, Java Darche, Kool du Caux, Ludo de Castelle, Nobilis Jiel, Opal Viking, Niky, Lhassa, Nijinski Blue, Laura d'Amour and The Big Blue World.

As for Mara Bourbon, she is owned by the famed French horseman Jean Pierre Dubois. The mare is a daughter of And Arifant-Etta Extra (by Workaholic). Dubois originally planned to breed her to his Pine Chip stallion Daguet Rapide, who is standing at his farm near Lexington, Ky., but then changed his mind and began searching for a breeding to Andover Hall. Mara Bourbon has won the Oslo Grand Prix and Copenhagen Cup and is considered one of Europe's greatest mares.

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