The world’s highest-earning trotting horse, the legendary Italian champion trotter Varenne, died Tuesday (Aug. 18) from a heart attack at Allevamento LJ near Eboli, Italy.
Varenne, who lived to be 31, set a record of 1:51.1, won 62 of 73 races, and earned $5.63 million (U.S.). Varenne, trained by Finland’s Jori Turja and driven by Giampaolo Minnucci, won virtually every major international race – some of them multiple times.
For two consecutive years, Varenne won the Prix d’Amérique, the Gran Premio Lotteria, and the Elitlopp. In fact, he won the Lotteria three times overall. In the U.S., Varenne won the 2001 Breeders Crown Open Trot in a world-record 1:51.1, and in Canada, he won the Trot Mondial.
Varenne received the 2001 Dan Patch Award for best older male trotter. He was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2010.
He also left a major mark as a sire. His offspring include Vernissage Grif, Twister Bi, Arazi Boko, Tony Gio, Lisa America, and others.
He also made his mark as a broodmare sire through horses such as Alrajah One, Diva Ek, Eric The Eel, and others.