August 15, 2015 – Today’s top trotting event in Italy was the Gr. I Gran Premio Citta’ di Montecatini (€103,400 purse for final; two eliminations with purse €14,300 each, 1640 meters autostart) and the impressive elimination two and final winner was pacesetter Orsia (7f Angus Hall-Tigre OM) driven by Antonio Di Nardo. The winner was clocked in 1.13.2kr (1:57.78) in her elim victory over Olona OK (7f Varenne-Erreuno OK) in a sharp 1.11.9kr (1:55.69 mile rate) in the final as she pulled away for a two-length win over Napoleon Bar (8m Varenne-Dalmazia) and reinsman Enrico Bellei. Third in the final was Papandreu (6m Abano As-Capucine) and teamster Roberto Vecchione. Napoleon Bar won the first elim timed in 1.12.1kr (1:56.01) defeating Nephena Lux (8f Pine Chip-Miss Camelia OM) driven by Alessandro Gocciadoro. Orsia now shows career earnings in excess of €600,000.
At Aby, on the Aby Stora Pris card, the Euro Classic Trot Next Year (75,000SEK to winner, 2140 meters autostart, 12 starters) went to three-length winner Mister J.P. (3m Taurus Dream-Baghdad Dream-Yankee Glide) trained and reined by Bjorn Goop for Ecurie Jean-Pierre Barjon and Joel Seche. Mister J.P. remained undefeated in seven career outings, now for 1,975,000SEK earned. He scored in 1.14.7kr (mile rate 2:00.19) in his first 2015 start over Rhapsody As (3g Infinitif-Golden Door Lindy-Cambest) driven by Kenneth Haugstad for trainer Roger Walmann. Sogno di Volare (3m Taurus Dream-Moustache-Daguet Rapide) was third for Stefan Soderkvist. The second and third place finishers were US-registered and the top three were sired by Dubois stallions. The winners’ owner, J-P Barjon, enjoyed a North American winner on August 10 at Mohawk when his Pennies From Heaven (2f Cantab Hall-Quick Credit-Credit Winner) scored in 2:01.1s, last quarter :28, in the Pure Ivory Series for trainer/driver R. Dustin Jones.
On August 14 at Bollnas the US import Delicious (6f Cantab Hall-Ispara LB-Lemon Dra) won for Stall Zet and reinsman Orjan Kihlstrom timed in 1.08.6kr (mile rate 1:50.38), She scored easily over Global Money (8g Love You-Norwegian Beauty-Yankee Glide) driven by Robert Bergh and Alvena Pele (9m Dream Vacation-Oli Roy-Probe) handled by Per Lennartsson. EL Rocket (5m Credit Winner-Courtney Hall-Garland Lobell) was fourth driven by Kenneth Haugstad. Delicious was developed in the US by Ron Gurfein and now has three wins in her last four starts when driven by Kihlstrom. She has recorded 16 career wins in 41 starts for earnings of 3,916,572SEK.
Thomas H. Hicks