by Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Newsroom Senior Correspondent

The chestnut filly Unicka, driven by Pietro Gubellini, won the Italian Trotting Derby at Le Capannelle track in Rome in very convincing style. Unicka won the 1-5/16th mile event in a new race record of 1:56.1f (mile rate).

Gerard Forni photo

Unicka was a winner in the Italian Trotting Derby.

She is just the fourth filly to win this race in the last 30 years.

The Italian Trotting Derby is the richest European race for 3-year-old trotters with a total purse of $860,000. The winner’s share is $360,000.

Unicka is unique. She has raced 13 times, with 11 wins, one second and one fourth. She is sired by the great French sire Love You and her dam is by Armbro Goal. Unicka is trained by Danish-born Erik Bondo, who for many years has run a successful stable in Italy. The owner is Scuderia Wave, a very big Italian owner.

Bondo had a great day at Capannelle, as he also trained the winner of the consolation and was one-two in the Gran Premio Turilli, which is a race for top trotters.

In Germany North America-bred Cruzado Dela Noche (sired by Muscle Massive) won the Grosser Preis von Deutschland at the Bahrenfeld track in Hamburg. Cruzado Dela Noche, driven by Per Linderoth, was a narrow winner over the German trotter Cash Hanover. Both were timed in 1:55f.

The purse for the winner was $110,000.

Cruzado Dela Noche is owned by the powerful international stable Courant and is trained in Sweden by Catarina Lundström.