by Thomas Hedlund

Alessandro Gocciadoro’s Yankee Glide son Vivid Wise As will again race in the Elitloppet. This year, it is scheduled for Sunday, May 28.

Vivid Wise As has tried his luck in the prestigious mile race three times before. He finished as the runner up behind Don Fanucci Zet in 2021.

On Monday (April 10), Vivid Wise As will race in the $160,000 Gran Premio Costa Azzurra in Turin, IT, drawing post number one behind the gate. Thirteen horses are in the race and, with the favorable one post, Vivid Wise As will be the heavy favorite in the race.

GRAN PREMIO COSTA AZZURRA

1,600 meters

1. Vivid Wise As

2. Blackflash Bar

3. Bepi Bi

4. Usain Töll

5. Zacon Gio

6. Bleff Dipa

7. Chief Orlando

8. Agrado

9. Chance Ek

10 Carlomagno d’Esi

11. Zeudi Amg

12. Dumbo

13. Capital Mail

ETONNANT IN PARIS AGAIN

The 2022 Elitloppet winner, Etonnant, will race in Paris again on Saturday (April 8) when the $125,000 Prix Kerjacques is on the Vincennes race card.

The distance in the Prix Kerjacques is 2,700 meters and the race includes several top trotters, among them, the runner up from the Criterium de Vitesse, Emeraulde de Bais.

Etonnant is readying for the Elitloppet at Solvalla in May, where he will try to defend his title.

PRIX KERJACQUES

Horse — Driver

1. Bilo Jepson — Matthieu Abrivard

2. Fepson — Jeremy Gaston van Eeckhaute

3. Heraut d’Armes — Nicolas Bazire

4. Usain Töll — Alexandre Abrivard

5. Hokkaido Jiel — David Thomain

6. Elite de Jiel — Francois Lagadeuc

7. Emeraulde de Blais — Franck Nivard

8. Gently de Muze — Tristan Ouvrie

9. Calle Crown — Cedric Parys

10. Frisbee d’Am — Yoann Lebourgeois

11. Hussard du Landret — Benoit Robin

12. Elie de Beaufour — Jean-Michel Bazire

13. Etoile de Bryuere — Damien Bonne

14. Dorgos de Guez — Guillermo Horrach Vidal

15. Delia du Pommereux — Pierre-Yves Verva

16. Etonnant — Anthony Barrier

PRIX D’AMÉRIQUE WINNER RETIRES

The winner of the 2022 Prix d’Amérique, Davidson du Pont, will retire from racing. The decision was made on Tuesday (April 4) by his connections.

Davidson du Pont banked $2,480,300, but the leg problems he had during the last season never completely healed, so the champion will now fully focus on his stud work in France.

CORAZON COMBO IS BACK

In Helsinki, FI, last year’s 3-year-old champion Corazon Combo (Express Duo) made his comeback at Vermo racetrack on Wednesday (April 5) night. Trainer/driver Pekka Korpi aimed for the lead at an early stage in the 1.6 miles long race and Corazon Combo cruised to a safe win in a moderate mile rate of 2:04.3.

Corazon Combo won 10 out of 13 starts as a 3-year-old and he entered the 2022 season undefeated in seven attempts as a 2-year-old. He finished second and third, respectively, in the two E3-finals in Sweden last year and continued by being outstanding in the Kriterium in Finland in October.

His comeback as a 4-year-old was promising, even if the race included only five horses and Pekka Korpi will most probably aim for another title in the Finnish Derby later this year.

The same night, on the other side of the Baltic Sea, at Solvalla racetrack, the Svante Båth-trained Very Kronos (Ready Cash) claimed the trophy in the $20,000 Nuncio over 1.3 miles. Erik Adielsson was in the bike and the duo hit the lead after a quarter of a mile and Very Kronos was outstanding as he won in a mile rate of 1:57.1.