The biggest harness race for the open horses in Europe was contested today in the Vincennes Racetrack in France. One million euros (about 1,385,000 US dollars) in purse money brings the very best horses to the race. The winner gets half of the purse money, 500,000 euros.

This year the morning line favorite was the last year's winner, Meaulnes du Corta. His driver Pierre Levesque did control the pace for the most of the race, and seemed to have it all under control. In the end two longshots attacked the leader forcing Meaulnes du Corta to settle for the third place.

When the dust settled the results were quite a shock to the betting public. Eight-year-old Oyonnax was the winner in his first attempt in this 89th edition of the prestige Prix d'Amerique. He was driven by the French Sebastian Ernault, who also was a first timer in this caliber race. Oyonnax was one of the biggest longshots to win with his odds 172/1.

Sebastian Ernault was quick to mention in the winner circle that he has learned all his driving skills from Pierre Levesque, another frenchman whom he defeated today. Oyonnax has now won 14 times in his 84 starts and has made little over 1,3 million euros so far in his career. Today Oyonnax trotted 12,4a (1:56.3 MR) for the 2700 meter distance.

Oyonnax is sired by In love With You, French born son of Coktail Jet from the American mare Amour d'Aunou (Speedy Somolli). There is even more American blood on his veins from the dam side, dams second sire is US bred Pershing, who was very popular sire in Sweden for years.

Second place this year went for another longshot. Quaker Jet is sired by another son of Coktail Jet, called Love You (not to be confused with In Love With You..). Quaker Yet was driven by Pierre Vercruysse.

The best mare on the race was yet another French horse called Nuba Saptel, finishing fourth for Yves Dreux. German bred Russel November got the fifth place check. Other horses from outside of France did not fare well; Opal Viking from Sweden finished 12th and Ghiaccio del Nord from Italy ended up 13th.

Over 40,000 spectators attended the racetrack today. Along with the big race, there were over 100 musicians and dancers to celebrate this historic race. The Prix d'Amerique was created in 1920 in the memory of American Soldiers engaged in the First World War. Race is open for stallions and mares only, aged four to ten. Geldings are not allowed in.

You can watch the race HERE


Oyonnax won the 2010 Prix d'Amerique (pictured here in 2006)

Same day as the Premio Orsi Mangelli for the colts, fillies had their own division and the winner was Madras trotting 1:57.2 MR. This filly won the Trotting Oaks on her last start and is considered as a best 3-year-old filly in Italy this year.

Madras is sired by the Italian born Zinzan Brooke Tur who made over $1,1 million on the racetrack. This stallion has plenty French blood on his veins, only the sire of his dam is an American bred son of Speedy Somolli called Keyser Lobell.

Dam of Madras is a Swedish born mare Lady Abb, daughter of Pay Me Quick. Lady Abb was herself an excellent racemare winning 28 times and retiring with over $260,000.

American entry Littlemscantbwrong (Yankee Glide) was second in the filly division. She was driven by Finnish Jorma Kontio and is trained by Norwegian Per Henriksen. Mordida Bar (Super Arnie) finished third with Ron Pierce on the bike.


Chestnut filly Madras keeps winning in Italy

One of the biggest races for the 3-year-old trotters in Europe was contested last Sunday November 1st in the San Siro Racetrack in Milan Italy.

Premio Orsi Mangelli is named after one of the biggest breeders in Italy, and Italian bred trotter won the trophy once again. Mago d'Amore (Magigian of Love) is the name of the winning horse and he was trained and driven by one of the best drivers in Italy, Pietro Gubellini.

First elimination was won by the American invader Explosive Matter, who was a post time favorite for the final over the other elimination winner Mago d'Amore. Ron Pierce did not have his day with Explosive Matter and this stallion finished his racing career by making a break in the first turn in the final and loosing his chance. Reportedly Explosive Matter will be standing stud in the Hanover Shoe Farms starting next year.

Mago d'Amore is a son of Lemon Dra, Champion sire who was kidnapped in Italy years ago and has not been seen since. Dam of Mago d'Amore is an Italian born daughter of Donerail called Do It Wise. Winning time for the mile long race was 12,7a (1:57 MR) and the winner made almost $210,000.

Second place went for the Swedish bred son of Ganymede called Oracle. He is trained by Stefan "Photo Tarzan" Melander and was driven by Örjan Kihlström. Third place finisher was Marimari from Holger Ehlert barn, he was piloted by Roberto Vecchione.


Marimari was a third place finisher in the Premio Orsi Mangelli final this year

Norwegian website tgn.no reports that Super News, one of the best stallions in Norway, is dead. He was 25-years old. He has been a leading stallion in Norway for 9 years straight and Dean Hoffman wrote about him here.

Super News is a son of Super Bowl out of an unraced daughter of Speedy Count called Norva Hanover. Super News was not anything special in the US before being exported but ended up finishing his racing career in Europe with over $150,000 in earnings and a lifetime mark of 1:57.1. He won 19 times.

Some of his best foals are mare Tinita Love 1:55.3 $680,000, gelding Super Ari 1:55.3 $485,000, mare Mystical News 1:57.4 $365,000, and yet another mare called News From Heaven 1:56.3 $325,000.

According to the Norwegian tgn.no some semen has been collected from the stallion and kept in Lithuania. It will be available in Norway for a limited amount of mares in 2010.


Tinita Love is the top earning foal of Super News

Target Hoss proved today once again that she is one of the best horses born in Finland today, maybe one of the best ones ever.

Pori racetrack hosted the St Leger, open race for any horses born in Finland. Race is contested in the long 2600 meter distance and winner got 22,000 euros.

Target Hoss returned to the winner circle after failing to pick up a check in the UET Grand Prix final earlier this month. Competition today really did not have a chance against her and Jorma Kontio piloted her to an easy win with a time 15,8a (2:02 MR).

This was a win number 13 for this super talented daughter of Muscles Yankee. Her lifetime earnings are now 269,388 euros (about $400,000) for the owning Target In Mind Stable.

Another talented mare called Bianca Journey finished second. She is sired by French Love You and was driven by Esa Holopainen. Third spot went to Dundee, son of Smooth Blend. Antti Teivainen drove Dundee once again.


Target Hoss has banked over $400,000 on her career

4-year-old finnhorses battled for the 10,000 e win purse today in the Pori racetrack. Favorite Pihlahan-Aaroni made a break in the first turn leaving the field wide open. In the end this race was a battle between Virijori (sired by Turo) and Passin Liina.

Markku Hietanen showed once again why he is one of the best finnhorse drivers in Finland. He piloted this mare to a new Finnish Record for the 4-year-old mares in the 2100 meter distance for a handicapped race. Passin Liina trotted 26,9a (about 2:20 MR).

This was only the second win for this daughter of Apassi in her lifetime. She won her previous race too, so Passin Liina seems to be on the right track for the future.

Another mare called R.R. Seila finished third leaving Pihlajan Aaroni behind her for the fourth place. Last money was given to yet another mare R.R. Ruskariina. Reijo Ranne is the breeder of both R.R. mares in the top five.


Passin Liina trotted a new Finnish Record in Finland today

Maharajah is the best 4-year-old in the Europe this year

Maharajah means "the great king" in the Hindu language and Maharajah proved to be just that today in Finland. The best 4-year-old trotters from all around Europe competed for the huge 230,000 e first money (about $335,000).

Contenders from Finland, Sweden, Norway and France made it to the final and what a thriller that final was! As expected Finnish mare Target Hoss took the lead from the real position. He was pressed on by Yield Boko early on but then the Swedish King of trotting came like a monsoon to claim the lead position.

Maharajah was quickly challenged by French Royal Crown who took the lead in the back stretch. In the last turn Maharajah challenged him again and the race was all over. Örjan Kihlström piloted his horse to win in the easiest way imaginable. He won by open lengths and proved to be the best 4-year-old trotter in Europe, maybe in the whole world today. Winning time for Maharajah was 12,7a (1:57 MR) for the 2100 meter distance

Maharajah is sired by Viking Kronos, son of American Winner who has proven to be one of the best sires in Europe today. This was a win number 14 for Maharajah in his 19 lifetime starts. He is trained by Swedish Stefan Hultman. Today Maharajah topped his lifetime earnings to 713,464 euros meaning that he has made little over 1 million dollars in his career for his owners Travkompaniets Stall AB.

French entry Roc Meslois finished strong second for Pierre Belloche. Longshot Insect Face was third, this son of Enjoy Lavec has not won a race since he was 2, but still has made over 189,000 euros ($275,000).

Reven d'Amour from Sweden was fourth and tired Royal Crown still held on to fifth place finish for Jean-Pierre Dubois. Jorma Kontio was not happy after the race, Target Hoss ended up locked in and out of money being sixth.

Nobody was happier than Hannu Korpi after winning the biggest race for the 3-year-old trotters in Finland. Keen Leader showed once again how strong he can be in the finish line coming from behind. Hannu Korpi trains and drove this son of Express It. Early on in the race Jorma Kontio had Absolute Tomson on the lead but this filly tired badly before the the last turn and finished last for the trainer Timo Nurmos.

Pekka Korpi had everything looking good for his barn coming into the final quarter, he was leading himself with Antonio Duo and Antti Teivainen had Dream Director, also trained by Pekka Korpi, following close by.

In the end it was a great battle between Antonio Duo and Keen Leader and Keen Leader showed to be the strongest today. There has been plenty media attention around Keen Leader after he came up positive from caffeine after winning in July. According to his trainer at the time, Pentti Tikkinen, he got the caffeine fromthe tealeaves which were mixed with some herbs he collected locally.

Racing commission stated that the levels were quite low and Keen Leader was barred from racing until two days before Kriterium eliminations. His trainer at the time, Pentti Tikkinen, is still serving his suspension, so Hannu Korpi got this horse into his care. Keen Leader is owned by Keisari-Talli and his breeder is a firm called Maatalousyhtymä Klemola.

Keen Leader is a son of Express It, his dam is a Swedish born mare named Beauty Thing sired by Kosar, son of Speedy Somolli. This was a third win in the row for Keen Leader, his lifetime earnings are now little over 91,000 euros (about $132,000), he made 75,000 euros today ($109,000).

Pekka Korpi finished second with Antonio Duo, homebred colt sired by Othello Kemp, son of the great stallion called Coktail Jet. Another Pekka Korpi trainee called Dream Director was third. Dream Director is sired by Dream Vacation.

Finnish Kriterium is raced in the long 2600 meter distance and Keen Leader won in 16,5a (2:03 MR).


Keen Leader (1) powers past Antonio Duo in the Finnish Kriterium

4-year-old Pihlajan Aaroni was the big favorite to win the race after winning all 9 of his starts this year. Today tables turned when Pihlajan Aaroni went off stride and was disqualified. This left the race wide open and mare R.R. Ruskariina inherited the top position from Pihlajan Aaroni and looked like a winner for a long time.

In the end it was a tight battle between Diktaattori, R.R. Ruskariina and Bokalle. Esa Holopainen came outside the leaders to get it all by a slightest margin. This was only the tenth race for this promising horse trained by his breeder and half owner Pekka Luukkonen. Bokalle has won 5 of his races and his trainer is expecting him to improve plenty over the years.

Today was a great day for the dam of Bokalle called Bonaatti, his older foal Boker was a winner earlier in the day. Both horses are sired by one of the best finnhorses ever called Viesker.

Bokalle got 38,000 euros (about $55,000), he trotted 27,7a for the 2100 meter distance. Diktaattori finished second for his trainer/driver Jani Ruotsalainen. Mare R.R. Ruskariina got the third money.


Esa Holopainen celebrates after Bokalle wins the finnhorse Kriterium

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