In the last century, very great champions and great personalities have illuminated the Prix d’Amérique with all their fires. The decade 70 is one of the most striking examples.
Tidalium Pelo and Bellino II, respectively double and triple winners of the World Championship trot harness, are the major heroes of this decade revealing many talents, both in horses and in men.
In 1972, when the whole of France has eyes only for the famous champion Une de Mai, a black devil with white bandages takes advantage of the hook of the pertussis of France with a rival in the last turn to spin to the post. Tidalium Pelo thus won his second victory in the Prix d’Amérique, marking the spirits with his large ample and powerful stride. Despite these two victories and two Prix de Cornulier – of which the double in 1972 – Tidalium Pélo will never reach the popularity of Une de Mai who, however, despite a flamboyant prize list, was never able to win the Supreme Race.
1977. After two great victories in the Prix d’Amérique of the previous two years, Bellino II, nicknamed the “steamroller” for his abilities to crush his opponents, resisted the young Eléazar and won his third consecutive victory in the Great Race, equaling thus the star Roquépine and the legendary Uranie. A few days later, Bellino II opened in person the 13-hour TF1 news where Yves Mourousi had invited the champion entered the Legend with, in addition, three victories in the Prix de Cornulier and innumerable victories in both specialties.
The 1978 edition of the Prix d’Amérique saw the victory of one of the most charismatic personalities of the Trot of that era: Pierre-Désiré Allaire. The man who had discovered Une de Mai, and Toscan, imposed himself on the sulky of his pensioner Grandpré ahead of another of his pupils, the future chief of race Fakir du Vivier. The legend murmurs that the famous professional had celebrated his victory the day before in a large Parisian restaurant, which his way of greeting the crowd in the last straight line tended to confirm.
The following year, 1979, highlighted the advent of another character who later became one of the greatest coaches in the world: Jean-Pierre Dubois. The man of Dinan wins his first Prix d’Amérique that year to the sulky of High Echelon, infiltrating with the rope in the last meters to cause a big surprise by beating a certain Ideal du Gazeau of which one will speak again in the decade. (Source: Turfcom).
