Describing one of the best European harness racing trotting horses in a simple article where space is always an adversary becomes an operation at the limit of practicability.
Here we will try to draw some descriptive lines of a general nature, concerning what is currently considered one of the most important European horses of at least the last twenty years: Vivid Wise AS (Yankee Glide).
Summarizing all his victories is really complicated, however the numbers can help us by supporting the thesis that he is a great champion: sixteen Group 1 victories in Italy but not only.
Indeed, France was and continues to be a land of conquest by him. Just think, for example, of what the whole world was able to admire just a few days ago with the victory of the Criterium De Vitesse, one of the most important trotting races on the French calendar which, as per tradition, takes place at the end of the winter season.
However, if we want to summarize what Vivid Wise AS means for international trotting, it is enough to remember that up to now he has won 16 Group 1 races and that his bank account has exceeded 2,719,788 euros. Among the races that saw him as a protagonist it is possible to mention the Prix de France, Prix de l’Atlantique, Prix Rene Balliere, Grand Prix Departement Alpes Maritimes and Grand Prix of Nations as well as the famous Criterium De Vitesse, as already described above, which the standard-bearer of the stable Bivans took home three times.
However, Vivid Wise AS is not only a horse with an extraordinary international competitive career, but also the result of a crossing that has allowed him to consecrate himself to the highest international levels.
His father is the American Yankee Glide, one of the most important continuators of the Valley Victory line, therefore a paternal line that undoubtedly played a fundamental role in the success of Vivid Wise AS in the races. The maternal line of Vivid Wise AS is also of absolute technical depth.
In fact, Vivid Wise AS’s dam is Temple Blue Chip, a daughter of the recently deceased Cantab Hall stallion who has been able to offer international breeding high quality standards with the creation of numerous champions and distinguishing himself as an important sire of mares.
Returning to Temple Ble Chip, in its production there is not only Vivid Wise AS which would already be sufficient to make it a mother of high caliber, but among its children there is also All Wise AS, a classic winner in Italy and in France with victories for example of the Mipaaft Grand Prix, the Elwood Medium and the Héraclite.
The second dam of Vivid Wise AS is the prestigious Down Goes Debbie a daughter of Andover Hall and Maiden Yankee (Speedy Crown) therefore half-sister of the American champion Muscles Yankee, another important sire for the whole world of harness racing.
An important aspect on which it is worth dwelling is the fact that Vivid Wise AS up to now has been able to combine the competitive activity also with that of reproducer with significant results.
His first year in breeding saw his first sons born in 2018 and of the 50 foals born in his debut year as a stallion, 40 took to the track.
Among these there were some “cherries on the cake” such as Charmant De Zack who, in addition to winning the Italian Trot Derby with the interpretation of Antonio Di Nardo and the training of Marco Smorgon before moving on to the training of Alessandro Gocciadoro.
He took to the track only a few days ago in Cagnes Sur Mer in that Criterium De Vitesse which saw him finish in seventh place with the guidance of Nicolas Ensch, but which nonetheless characterized the race precisely due to the fact that the grid saw at the start a father and one son: Vivid Wise AS and Charmant De Zack.
The latter was also able to obtain other important placements on French soil, for example by reaching the podium of the Prix De Gien and the Prix De Faulquemont in two Group III races in which he was the protagonist, finishing on both occasions in second place, with notable horses of the caliber of Izoard Vedaquais and Impressionist to name but a few.
A competitive career that of Charmant De Zack which has seen him so far achieve a record of 1.09.6 and win 686,303 euros.
Other important exponents of the production of Vivid Wise AS are, for example, two females: Cadillac Grif and Clelia D’Arc.
The first of these, in addition to the paternity of Vivid Wise AS, can count on an important mother called Impact Wise As, a daughter of Lemon Dra from the protagonist of a discreet competitive career.
Returning to Cadillac Grif, her racing career up to now has seen her win the Grand Prix Società Terme di Montecatini as well as being able to get on the podium of other important classic races on the Italian scene such as the Etruria Grand Prix, the Antonio Carena Grand Prix and the Filly Continental Grand Prix.
She ran important races that have allowed her, up to now, to set her record in 1.11.3 and to put around 80,000 euros in the bank. Clelia D’Arc, as described above, is also an excellent daughter of Vivid Wise AS, also released from the first year of production of the Italian champion. Her dam is Olga LP a daughter of Supergill therefore also the maternal line of Clelia D’ Arc has certainly helped her in becoming an excellent racing mare.
Unfortunately, Clelia D’Arc’s racing career was characterized by a few setbacks which cost her time, however she was still able to shine by winning the Gran Premio Etruria a Group 3 race in Florence early in the racing career of the three years in 2021. For her, the record is currently 1.11.9 and about 50,000 euros in sums won.
Thus, Vivid Wise AS is what would be considered the “complete package” of a superb racehorse and proven stallion. We hope he continues to race well and breed more future champions.
by Filippo Lago, for Harnesslink
