by Thomas Hedlund

Trainer Jerry Riordan knows how to win the 3-year-old E3 races and when Gävle played host to the $200,000 event on Saturday (Aug. 17) afternoon, Riordan captured his seventh trophy.

Far Wise As (Face Time Bourbon), a half-brother to well merited Vivid Wise As, was Riordan’s hope this time and driver Johan Untersteiner did everything right on his path to a great victory.

Far Wise As was pushed to the lead after 500 meters, when early front runner Like Magic Sisu opened the first quarter in :27.1. Untersteiner was sitting behind the race favorite and Like Magic Sisu’s driver Mika Forss understood that he couldn’t defend himself due to the high pace. With a lap to go, Far Wise As was in front and in that position he proved hard to beat, even if Daniel Wäjersten’s duo August Zonett (second) and Lando Mearas (third) gave it a serious try in the stretch. Far Wise As won in 1:55.4.

Jerry Riordan’s first E3 win came in 2014, when Sheava Vik claimed the fillies’ final. Betting Ganster (2018), Aetos Kronos (two times in 2019), Globalizer (2020) and Dea Grif (2022) and Far Wise As (2024) are all of Riordan’s E3 champs.

ANOTHER E3 WIN FOR WALMANN

The E3 races in Gävle were dominated by experienced trainers. In the $200,000 E3 for fillies, Roger Walmann’s S.G. Empress (Readly Express) was just outstanding in a wire-to-wire win in 1:55. Örjan Kihlström surprised by sending S.G. Empress to the front position and the filly’s opponents had big respect for the leader. That allowed Kihlström to control the pace.

S.G. Empress sprinted to the win. She is now 7-for-8 since her debut in April, which means that she very well could be the Swedish-bred crop’s queen.

Olivia Bros was second ahead of Oriana Boko. 

Walmann, just like Riordan, has a great touch with 3-year-olds and Saturday’s win was his ninth in E3 finals.

HIGH CLASS ON A SLOPPY PARIS TRACK

Saturday’s (Aug. 17) race card at Vincennes in Paris included some high class races for 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds. The day began with victory for 4-year-old Ready Cash daughter Keen Winner, who profited off a ground-saving inside trip in $135,000 Prix Paul Leguerney and won in a mile rate of 1:57 over 1.3 miles on a very sloppy Paris track.

Anthony Barrier sat in the bike and he continued by winning the $135,000 Prix Reine du Corta for 3-year-old fillies behind Sebastien Guarato-trained Lotta Bourbon (Prodigious), who finished quickly from far outside in the stretch. Leading favorite Liza Josselyn gave up completely mid-stretch, likely marked by the even more sloppy track after heavy rain. The mile rate was 1:57.1 over 1.3 miles.

Barrier was the driver of the day at Vincennes. He also claimed the following race, the $135,000 Prix Phaeton for 4-year-old colts. Just like the race prior, Guarato was the trainer of Barrier’s winner. Kristal Josselyn (Bold Eagle) was served a perfect second-over trip, covered by favorite Koctel du Dain. Kristal Josselyn was the strongest in the stretch when Barrier asked for more. The mile rate was 1:55.4 over 1.3 miles.

Yoann Lebourgeois sent Justin Bold (Bold Eagle) to the front right after the start of the $135,000 Prix Louis Jariel for 5-year-olds and Lebourgeois chose to defend that position all the way to the wire. It was the right decision as Justin Bold easily held all opponents. Big favorite Jushua Tree tried to challenge the leader at the top of the stretch, but he lost his gait and made a break soon thereafter. Justin Bold won in a mile rate of 1:54.3.

Lombok Jiel (Enino du Pommereux) finished quickly from third-over when the 3-year-old colts battled in the $135,000 Prix Abel Bassigny. It ended with safe win in a mile rate of 1:56.3 over 2,175 meters. Pierre Yves Verva was in the bike.

GOCCIADORO A WINNER IN MONTECATINI

Alessandro Gocciadoro celebrated a big victory when Thursday’s (Aug. 16) $135,000 Gran Premio Citta di Montecatini was held at the half-mile track in Montecatini.

Gocciadoro himself sat behind big favorite Vernissage Grif in the second elimination and the duo was disqualified for interference in one of the turns. Upsetter Caronte Trebi (Nad al Sheba) won that elimination. In an earlier race on the card, Gocciadoro’s Dolce Viky (Adrian Chip) was outstanding from the lead while paired with Roberto Vecchione.

Dolce Viky proved best in the final later that night. Vecchione hit the lead after 300 meters and controlled the race in a safe 1:56.1 win.

SPLENDID BEDAZZLED SOX AT SOLVALLA

Walmann-trained Bedazzled Sox (Brillantissime) was named as the best 3-year-old trotter in Sweden two years ago, an award he got after a brilliant season where his only failure happened when the most was at stake — in the $800,000 Kriteriet.

Now, as a 5-year-old, Bedazzled Sox has joined some of the country’s very best trotters

In Wednesday’s (Aug.13) Margareta Wallenius-Kleberg Pokal, Walmann’s horse looked just splendid in the hands of driver Claes Sjöström. Sjöström got the opportunity to become first driver to Bedazzled Sox when the prior pilot, Torbjörn Jansson, chose to retire last year.

The wire-to-wire victory at Solvalla on Wednesday night happened to be Sjöström’s biggest triumph so far in his career. Sjöström has few enemies in the sport and the win pleased not only Bedazzled Sox’s connections, but pretty much the entire harness racing business in Sweden.

The race became a high-level event where Bedazzled Sox held the lead from post 1 behind the gate and Sjöström never really got the opportunity to keep the pace down because outside trotter Hustle Rain was a bit on fire, racing without cover. The big threat, favorite Double Deceiver, was settled in second-over and when he got order to attack at the top of the stretch, Bedazzled Sox had a three lengths advantage. Just before that point, Sjöström had to use every skill he possesses as a driver as his horse lost his gait on two occasions.

Replay here.

Double Deceiver approached the leader quickly mid-stretch and it turned out to be pretty close in the end. But, Bedazzled Sox held on by a neck and won in a strong mile rate of 1:52.4 over 2,140 meters.

Double Deceiver gets high grades as runner up and pocket-runner Coquaholy finished third.

The $200,000 European Championship for mares became a one horse story when Gocciadoro’s Clarissa (Exploit Caf) played with her opponents. Betting Pacer opened fast and hit the lead, which also meant the heavy favorite, Great Skills, got stuck as third on the inside without any chances to improve her position at all. Great Skills was a non-factor by that point and when Gocciadoro parked Clarissa outside of Betting Pace with a lap to go, the Italian-bred 6-year-old controlled the race completely. Clarissa flew away from the other mares in the stretch and was superior on this night as she won in a mile rate of 1:54 over 1.3 miles. Jennifer Sisu grabbed the silver medal after a furious finish from fifth over and Norwegian contender Bunny finished third.

VIVID WISE AS OUT – CAPITAL MAIL IN

Gocciadoro’s Vivid Wise As will not make the journey over the Atlantic Ocean to participate in the Yonkers International in September. The connections, in consultation with their veterinarian, decided to stay at home in Italy. The trotter’s future is unclear at this point. Italy will instead send Lotteria winner Capital Mail to New York next month.