March 20, 2017 – Saturday (March 18) a superb harness racing card was in display at Kincsem Park led by the Brody Janos Memorial (purse 1,500,000Huf, 1960 meters distance handicap). The 1.20.3kr winner over a heavy racecourse was 1.7/1 Sanger Ms (7g Victory Scream-Samba Ms-Armbro Goal), pictured, reined by Mitja Slavic for trainer Balazs Juhasz. Sanger Ms has now won three straight and five of his last six outings. 4.1/1 Breve des Baux (f Querido des Baiux-Milady des Baux-Classic Rodney) was second for Joze Sagaj and trainer Aron Denes. 10.9/1 Bimbo de Chenu (5f Scipion du Goutier-Ouive de Chanu-Casino des Sports) landed third for trainer/driver Tibor Hajnal.
On the same program was the Kopparzy DIJ (purse 600,000Huf, 1900 meters autostart) with the 1.21.6kr timed victory earned by 3.1/1 Titan Ville (5g Noir Desir– 0Izaville-Endless Sands) reined by trainer Imre Fazekas for owner Zsalek Zsolt. Trencsen (5m Ata Star L-Eperjes-Witsends Speedy) took second for Zsolt Vereb and trainer Laszlo Toth. Third was Nemzelesur with Robert Varhidi driving.
Fazekas was back with a training and driving victory in the Csapodar DIJ (purse 400,000Huf, 1900 meters autostart) with 3.8/1 Timoko RL (4m Doctor Sugar RL-Triestina-Golden Goal). Arizona d.o.o of Szerbia owns this winner, timed in 1.23.7kr over the off-track. 7.9/1 Tiara Boss (5f Wall Street Banker-Peace Force Pro-Kosar) was second for Zoltan Ozvar, trainer/driver. 43.8/1 odds Kelvin AT (4m Even Better Odds-Keystone Bluejay-Sierra Kosmos) was third for trainer/driver Tibor Hajnal and owner Animal Trade Racing of Szerbia.
Other interesting winners on the card were Vital RG (3m SJ’s Photo-Vitesse OR) for trainer/driver Tibor Hajnal. This colt won the Ocean DIJ (purse 360,000Huf, 1800 meters). The Detektor Handicap (purse 360,000Huf, 1980 meters) went to 2.2/1 Passion Grif (8g Varenne-Sex Appeal OK) for trainer/driver Laszlo Kolozsi timed in 1.22.9kr. Fourbtr Kft and Sandor Hora own the winner that bested Rosamundi and Oklahoma Font.
Also, on March 18, was trotting action at Momarken SWE led by the V75 Gold (150,000SEK to the winner, 1640 meters autostart). The 1.6/1 odds Mosaique Face (8m Classic Photo-Iona LB) scored in 1.11.7kr for driver Adrian Kolgjini and trainer Lutfi Kolgjini. The Tommy Nilsson Holding AB product, now with 16 wins in 71 career outings for 13,640,178SEK earned, defeated 7.3/1 BBS Sugarlight (8g Super Light-Sugarsweet Sid-Sugarcane Hanover) reined by Vidar Hop for trainer Fredrik Solberg. Third was 5.2/1 Aruno di Quattro (9m Broadway Hall-Ijssel-Speedy Soma) reined by trainer Frode Hamre.
On March 19 there was solid action a Wolvega. The Bronze Winter Championship (purse €10,000, 2600 meters autostart, 14 starters) went to the 1/2odds favorite Clovis de Nappes (5g Prince Gede-Oklahoma Jet) for driver Rick Ebbinge and owner K.T.E. Lavigne. The 1.17.7kr timed winner bested 20.5/1 Bad Boy de Chenu with Ruud Pools driving. The Gold Winter Championship (purse €12,500, 2600 meters autostart, nine starters) went to the 1.15.4kr timed and 9/10 odds favorite Too Much Blue (10g Insert Gede-Naama Blue) reined by Cees Kamminga. This Draviet Stabkes owned performer defeated 76/1 Shamfalla driven by Stefan Schoonhoven.
On March 20 at Caen was the Prix d’Anguerny (purse €21,000, 2200 meters autostart, 16 starters) and 1.9/1 favorite Boca Ecus (6f Insert Gede-Salsa Jet) scored in 1.12.5kr for trainer/breeder/owner/driver Markku Vartiainen. The winner recorded her ninth victory in 21 starts for €81,690 earned. 22/1 Bogota d’Herfraie (6f Rieussec-Ines d’Herfraie) was second.
Wednesday March 22 at Solvalla has Nuncio at the start as his comeback path continues toward the 2017 Elitloppet. This day he competes in the Kentucky Fibbers raced over 1640 meters autostart for a purse of 169,000SEK. Coldtown, Volstead and French Laundry also are in this field.
Thomas H. Hicks