Monday,May 28, 2018 Ringostarr Treb wins recall-marred Elitloppet U.S. born trainer Jerry Riordan claimed his first Elitloppet as his Italian-born trotter won in straight heats at Solvalla. The news wasn?t as good for French star Bold Eagle who was negatively impacted by two questionable recalls. by Thomas Hedlund In today?s HRU Will Take Charge equals world record in Maxie Lee page 5 Filibuster Hanover, Shartin N capture pacing stakes at Harrah's Philadelphia page 6 Hannelore Hanover sharp on Philly undercard page 7 Gerard Forni Ringostarr Treb (1, Wim Paal) won the Elitloppet final in 1:51 Sunday afternoon at Solvalla. ?When we (drew post) number one in the final, I felt that this would be our day and as it turned out, it was like that.? That was U.S. born trainer Jerry Riordan?s words after the final of Elitloppet at Solvalla on Sunday afternoon. His Ringostarr Treb won the elimination and final in the prestigious mile race and there is no doubt that Riordan possesses at least two of the best trotters in the world at the moment. His Twister Bi (Varenne) won The International Trot at Yonkers last year and Ringostarr Treb showed enormous capacity several times during 2017 before Riordan tried the Italian-bred trotter in Paris last winter. In France, Ringostarr Treb raced well but was never really one of the top horses that people talked about before Prix d?Amérique and Prix de France. The 8-year-old son of Classic Photo out of Farsalo Egral got his invitation for the Elitlopp after a splendid performance in Olympiatravet at Åby, Sweden in April and in the Elitloppet he showed that he is still in the best shape. From post position one in the elimination, Ringostarr Treb Harness Racing Update | Page 1 | May 28, 2018 Harness Racing Update Gerard Forni Lionel (with owner Göran Antonsen in the bike) easily won his heat in 1:52.1 after two recalls caused other horses, including French star Bold Eagle, serious problems. Ringostarr Treb won the other heat. opened quickly for the lead, but Johan Untersteiner got great little bit late before the race went off and the judges decided speed behind his Pastore Bob (winner of Finlandia-Ajo to make a recall. The recall made several horses stressed and earlier in May) and the first quarter was heavy when Pastore Dreamoko (Björn Goop) made a break and couldn?t find the Bob passed Ringostarr Treb for the lead. right gait in the second attempt. When Goop got Dreamoko Ringostarr Treb?s driver Wim Paal quickly understood that to trot, he tried to get the horse behind the car, but the he could recapture the front position and with Propulsion judges didn?t like the way he approached the gate and late first over, the first kilometer was unusually slow for an they pushed the button for another recall. elimination in the Elitlopp. Normally, with a recall behind the gate, the car should The home stretch became a pretty easy thing for Riordan?s continue to roll with the gate as usual, so the horses can horse, who won with a neck ahead of Propulsion in 1:54. relax and calm down before the next starting attempt, but in this case, in an elimination for the Elitlopp, someone made a Ringostarr Treb, Propulsion, Nadal Broline and Pastore Bob bad decision and accelerated with the car, whereon three all made it to the final from that heat, which was the second horses (Bold Eagle, Rajesh Face and Maori Time) sprinted on the racing card at Solvalla. away as if the race was rolling. In the first elimination, the heavy favorite Bold Eagle got ?This was the judges decision to make and I just can say his chances more or less spoiled due to an embarrassing that it was unlucky with everything that happened before decision from the judges at Solvalla. The rules are clear this specific race. We had the thing with Maori Time, who when a horse starts behind the gate. With 30 seconds to post was late behind the gate, Dreamoko, who made a break and time, all horses must be behind the gate and with 100 lost many lengths before Björn Goop chased to try to reach meters to start, all of them should be well connected. his position and then Up And Quick got problems with the Australian horse Maori Time?s driver Todd McCarthy was a equipment,? said Solvalla?s chief of sport, Anders Malmrot. Harness Racing Update | Page 2 | May 28, 2018 Harness Racing Update Gerard Forni Despite this year's Elitloppet being less than perfect, the event still carried its usual pageantry, including the double-decker bus parading the drivers and trainers. Up And Quick was soon back on track, but by time Bold Lionel easily won the heat in 1:52.1. Eagle was so stressed that he in the next attempt to start Dreamoko, Up And Quick and Takethem all made it to the the race turned around and ran home towards the stable final, which, by many, seemed to be a fight between area for driver Franck Nivard. Ringostarr Treb and Propulsion. Stefan Melander, who drove his Volstead in this But Ringostarr Treb was at his best this day and Propulsion elimination, was disappointed after the race. never got really close to the Riordan-trained trotter. A trip behind leader Pastore Bob and outside of him during the ?I was on the track for nearly 30 minutes with my horse. In race?s last 600 meter became the winning trip for Ringostarr the first attempt, Volstead was perfect in my hands, but when Treb and when driver Paal got command of the race with the the race got off, I had nothing there. He was empty and the home stretch to go, his chasers had too many lengths to go race was over for us,? said Melander. ahead of the new leader. The race eventually started and Bold Eagle couldn?t handle The victory for Ringostarr Treb in 1:51 was well deserved the situation and disappeared by making a break after 100 for the horse who likes to race at Solvalla. meters. Maori Time did the same thing when the car left the In 2015, Ringostarr Treb won Sweden Cup for trainer field of eight horses. Holger Ehlert and Riordan got the opportunity to train the Dreamoko took the lead with Norwegian-bred Lionel (Look horse in the summer of 2017. The charismatic trainer was de Star) on the outside. Lionel was maybe one of the horses really pleased after he clinched the victory in one of the that managed to control the stressed situation before the most prestigious harness races in the world. race best. Driver and owner Göran Antonsen put some ?When Twister Bi won at Yonkers last fall, it was more pressure on the leader in the last turn and the 8-year-old money in the purse, but that victory dosen?t top winning the Harness Racing Update | Page 3 | May 28, 2018 Harness Racing Update Gerard Forni U.S. born trainer Jerry Riordan (white hair next to Elitloppet champ Ringostarr Treb) celebrated the victory with the Italian-bred trotter's connections and many fans. Elitlopp in Sweden, a country that has the best harness Giveitgasandgo best among the 4-year-olds racing in the world. After the elimination, I understood that Norwegian trainer Frode Hamre had at one point this Pastore Bob could take the lead even in the final, especially when Johan Untersteiner put a sharper bridle on his horse. I spring small intentions to race 4-year-old Yankee Glide son was satisfied when Ringostarr Treb was on the outside of the Giveitgasandgo in the Elitlopp. Giveitgasandgo was runner leader, because my horse got the advantage and felt really up behind Ringostarr Treb in Olympiatravet and in Algot courageous at that moment. But then Kihlström came with Scotts Minne at Åby, but Hamre instead aimed for the Propulsion you never feel safe, but today was our day,? Fyraåringseliten at Solvalla, which was a wise decision with Riordan said. all facts on hand. Ringostarr Treb earned $371,000 in total on this sunny With driver Erik Adialsson, the son of Yankee Glide earned Sunday at Solvalla. $57,000 by winning in 1:51.4 from the lead. Approximately 45.000 spectators visited Solvalla during The division for the mares saw Italian trainer Alessandro the two days of great harness racing, but unfortunately, many Gocciadoro?s Virgina Grif (Varenne) as a winner in 1:53.2. of them will remember the misjudgement in one of the Gocciadoro had a tremendous weekend at Solvalla with six heats of Elitloppet. victories, among the Sweden Cup on the Saturday?s card. Elitloppet elimination 1 Elitloppet elimination 2 Elitloppet final Harness Racing Update | Page 4 | May 28, 2018 Harness Racing Update Will Tak e Charge equals world record in M ax ie Lee by Ken Weingartner / USTA media relations manager Will Take Charge used a sustained first-over drive to overtake leader Crazy Wow around the final turn and held off favorite Marion Marauder in the stretch to win Sunday?s $150,000 Maxie Lee Memorial Invitational for older trotters in a world-record-equaling 1:50.3 at Harrah?s Philadelphia. Marion Marauder finished second, one length back. Crazy Wow, the event?s defending champion, was third. The Ken Weingartner winning time equaled the Will Take Charge (Tim Tetrick) equaled Sevruga's 1:50.3 world record for a gelded older trotter on a world record for a gelded older five-eighths mile track while defeating Marion Marauder and Crazy Wow in Sunday's $150,000 Maxie Lee Memorial final at Harrah's Philadelphia.