Dream Mine dominant in Swedish Trotting Derby
by Thomas Hedlund
Dream Mine (by Maharaja) went straight to the lead in the first turn, and after that, it was nothing but a stroll in the park. The Jörgen Westholm trainee and driver Mats E. Djuse proved to be in a class of their own in Sunday’s (Sept. 7) $800,000 Svenskt Travderby for 4-year-old trotters.
Dream Mine had already shown his class with a win in last year’s first E3 final, but after that, he made just two more starts as a 3-year-old, finishing second in an elimination and unplaced in the final of the $800,000 Svenskt Travkriterium. After an eight-month layoff, he returned in May this year, finishing second in a Breeders Crown elimination in Årjäng with caretaker Victor S. Sundgren in the bike. Since then, it’s been all about victories. In the Derby eliminations, Dream Mine looked razor sharp, although he made a break in one of the warm-ups when he lost a front boot ahead of Sunday’s big race.
“It got a bit messy in the second warm-up when he lost a boot,” said Westholm. “It’s no fun driving without them, but once we fixed it, he was fine. He’s a bit laid back, but with Mats’ sensitive hands he stayed calm.”
When the car left the field of 12 horses, Djuse aimed for the lead with Dream Mine and when last year’s Kriterium winner Bullet The Bluesky (by Readly Express) went off-stride after 50 meters, the path to the front was wide open.
“I got a small advantage on Bullet The Bluesky, but I didn’t think we’d get past,” said Djuse. “When he went off-stride, the lead was there for us, and I got that great feeling this was going to work out.”
Down the stretch it was no contest, more like a parade to the wire, with Dream Mine leaving his rivals far behind, winning in a mile rate of 1:55.3 over 1.6 miles. Örjan Kihlström tried to challenge with the lone mare in the field, La Yuca (by Face Time Bourbon), but Dream Mine had plenty of power in reserve.
“I was mostly keeping an eye on La Yuca, but it turned out to be extremely easy,” said Djuse about his biggest victory in the bike so far in his career. “Over the line it was more relief than anything else.”
The runner-up spot went to Luckisanattitude (by Face Time Bourbon), trained by Christoffer Eriksson and perfectly driven by Carl Johan Jepson, sitting the pocket trip. Bootsman (by Campo Bahia), trained by Per Nordström, finished third from the rail trip. Just like in the $400,000 Derby Filly final, the top three all came from the inside positions: leader, pocket, and three-deep on the rail.
S.G.EMPRESS REIGNS SUPREME IN THE DERBYSTOET
Ever since her debut in April last year, S.G.Empress (by Readly Express) has been among the very best of her generation. She opened her career with five straight wins, but in her first major test, the first E3 final, an early break brought her first defeat.
She made amends by capturing the short E3 final later that summer, but in the Oaks, she again went off-stride in her first attempt racing without shoes. This year’s $200,000 Drottning Silvias Pokal ended the same way, with a break racing without shoes.
“We tried barefoot twice,” trainer Roger Walmann said. “When you sit behind her, you’re convinced she would be better without shoes, but it just doesn’t work. I’ve learned my lesson now.”
With Örjan Kihlström committed to driving La Yuca in the season’s biggest races, Rikard N. Skoglund has stepped in as pilot. After a third-place finish in the first $560,000 Stochampionatet, behind La Yuca and Kihlström, the team turned their focus to the $400,000 Derbystoet and they struck gold. After a comfortable win in her elimination, S.G.Empress was just as dominant in the final.
The race conditions shifted dramatically earlier in the afternoon when Love This Bar was scratched, moving Elegance Silvio (by Maharajah) into the inside post. That was supposed to give her the edge to the front, but when the gate opened, Giraffa (by Maharajah), trained by Conrad Lugauer, sprinted to the lead. That was exactly what Skoglund and Walmann had hoped for. After 300 meters, S.G.Empress swept past to take command.
“My plan was for Adrian [Kolgjini with Love This Bar] to take the lead, and then I’d get the jump on Magnus [Djuse with favorite Ulaya] to get to the front,” said Skoglund. “But Lugauer’s mare was so fast, and at that point it felt very good.”
Ulaya (by Love You), unbeaten in eight prior starts, moved first-over with a lap remaining after a very soft pace for the first kilometer.
Ulaya gave way early in the stretch, leaving room for Giraffa from the pocket, but she couldn’t challenge S.G.Empress, who sprinted clear for an easy victory in a mile rate of 1:56 over 1.3 miles. Giraffa finished second, while Elegance Silvio secured third after a rail trip.
For trainer Roger Walmann, this was his third career win in the Derbystoet – following Handbag (1994) and Calamara Donna (2009).
“I’m very happy to win this race with a filly that’s been at the top since the very beginning,” said Walmann. “I’ve made mistakes that cost her a couple of big races, but this time we got it right.”
S.G.Empress has now won 16 of 24 career starts and earned $694,211.
A serious accident happened after Jägersro’s third race on the card as Derbystoet finalist Love This Bar escaped from her caretaker in the stable area, with a sulky attached and Love This Bar happened to aim for an area where pony riding with families and children was underway. Five ambulances entered the racing arena and the racing was put on hold for 1½ hours. The reports from the medical team said that one child broke her legs and that several people were shocked by the accident.
DIMITRI FERM CAPTURES CAMPIONATO EUROPEO TIEBREAKER IN CESENA
Enrico Montagna trainee Dimitri Ferm (by Nad al Sheba) went to the front in the tiebreaker of the $165,000 Campionato Europeo in Cesena on Saturday (Sept. 6) evening, and when rival Ernest Jet tried to launch a serious challenge, the leader had plenty left and drew off to a safe victory in a mile rate of 1:56.3 over 1,660 meters.
Dimitri Ferm looked strong in his heat win earlier on the card, but the second winner, Ernest Jet, also impressed in great style in his heat win. The outcome of Campionato Europeo had to be determined by a race off between the two horses.
Driven by Marco Stefani, Dimitri Ferm left alertly from the outside post in the match race against Ernest Jet. With just under a kilometer remaining, Roberto Vecchione asked Ernest Jet for a long, grinding move, but the effort proved too demanding. Ernest Jet couldn’t maintain his momentum around the final turn, while Dimitri Ferm coasted away to an easy win. Ernest Jet held second in 1:57.
The 6-year-old son of Nad al Sheba, a winner of the Italian Derby in 2022, has long ranked among the top older trotters in Italy and also gained experience and toughness in France, including a runner-up finish in the 2024 $330,000 Prix Bold Eagle.
As a 3-year-old, Dimitri Ferm captured the $880,880 Italian Derby, $165,000 Gran Premio Nazionale, $165,000 Gran Premio Tito Giovanardi, and $165,000 Gran Premio Carlo Marangoni.
