Favorites Wise Guy and Kobra Brick prove strongest in E3 finals
by Thomas Hedlund
Eskilstuna racetrack in Sweden played host to the 2,140 meter E3 finals for 3-year-olds on Saturday (June 28) afternoon and world record trotter Wise Guy (Face Time Bourbon) was the favorite to win the $300,000 E3 division for colts and geldings.
But Wise Guy didn’t get anything for free in the race. The horse’s trainer/driver Per Nordström had to settle in first over as leader Nightlife In and Carl Johan Jepson clearly wanted to race in front. And the race developed into an attractive duel between the two horses on the front. Nightlife In fought well on the inside, Wise Guy did the same on the outside and when the wire got closer, Nordström’s trotter stretched his neck and put his nose first in a mile rate of 1:57.1 over 1.3 miles.
“Today he had to use his best fighting spirit and he showed that the world record performance at Solvalla not was a one-off event,” said Nordström after the prestigious victory. “Carl Johan wanted to drive in front and it was just [up to me] to settle in position first over. In that position Wise Guy can run and save energy and I know how strong he is. The leader Nightlife In did a great race and challenged us towards the wire. A great fight, but my horse was the bravest today.”
Nightlife In was second and Hiram finished well in third.
The fillies battled for the same purse, over the same distance and a favorite proved best even in this division as well.
Petri Salmela’s Kobra Brick (Readly Express), driven by Mika Forss, became the obvious favorite after the eliminations, especially after driver Forss’ words after the comfortable win two weeks ago. Forss said that Kobra Brick could very well be the best horse he’s ever driven and the guy has been around in the business for many years now.
But in a final, the best horses in the crop gather, but as it turned out, Kobra Brick was in her own league with Forss overtaking the lead after 500 meters. Kobra Brick could keep the pace up on the backstretch, making it hard for the three-wide chasers and the stakes record (1:55.4) win was taken in unused style.
Global Got It All was the runner-up, Pure Athena held for third place after a first over trip.
As for now, no other 3-year-old filly in Northern Europe is better than Kobra Brick, but the season is far from over. An exciting summer and fall await.
DERBY WINNER BACK IN THE ‘CIRCLE’
Italian bred Dimitri Ferm (Nad al Sheba) has been around in the grand circuit circus pretty much since he was 3 years old when he claimed the $1,000,000 Italian Derby. Now, as a 6-year-old, he’s back in top shape and on Friday (June 27) night he stormed to an outstanding win in the Group 1 $165,000 Gran Premio Freccia d’Europa in Naples.
Mauro Baroncini trains Dimitri Ferm, while Marco Stefani sat in the bike behind the 6-year-old and the duo found a third inside trip while Click Bait lead the field in front.
Racing room appeared halfway into the race and after a perfect three-wide cover trip throughout the last turn, Dimitri Ferm flew in the stretch and reached the finish line in 1:53.3. This was his first win for the year, but probably not the last.
