Fourth generation of Levesque family ready for Prix d’Amerique
At 0h03, on January 14, 2026 • By Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Senior Newsroom Correspondent
Eight times before trotters trained by a member of the French Levesque family have won the Prix d’Amerique.
When this year’s edition of Europe’s biggest race for older horses, the Prix d’Amerique, is raced on Sunday, Jan. 25, Thomas Levesque will send the 9-year-old mare Iroise de la Noe to start.
Thomas Levesque is therefore the fourth generation in the Levesque family to have a horse entered in the Prix d’Amerique.
His great-grandfather, Henri Levesque, trained five Prix d’Amerique winners, not least the amazing mare Roquepine, who won the race three times.
Pierre Levesque, Thomas’ father, has trained three winners.
This is the second year that Thomas Levesque has qualified Iroise de la Noe to start in the Prix d’Amerique. Last year, it was a surprise when the mare won the final qualifying race, the Prix de Belgique, but this year, with champion driver Eric Raffin in the sulky, it was expected. The pair were favorites.
From the Prix de Belgique, which was raced Sunday afternoon at Vincennes, Italian horse Frank Gio, Swedish Immortal Doc, and French King Opera also qualified.
On the other hand, on Sunday, both Swedish Borups Victory and French Izoard Vedaquais, who had previously qualified, withdrew from the Prix d’Amerique.
Their withdrawal means that five spots will now be filled by the five horses that have not qualified but have the highest lifetime earnings.
Prix d’Amerique 2026 will be run Sunday, Jan. 25, at the Vincennes racetrack in Paris -18 horses can start – and the total prize money is 1 million Euros.
