by Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Senior Web Correspondent

The 6-year-old Swedish trotter Dante Boko driven by Adrian Kolgjini won the “Little Elitlopp” at Solvalla earlier today (May 28), while Opulent Yankee with Ake Svanstedt and Reven d’Amour with Yannick Gingras never made it to the final.

Gerard Fori photo

Dante Boko wins the Sweden Cup in 1:52.

The Sweden Cup was raced with three eliminations.

Dante Boko won the first finishing strongly for Lutfi Kolgjini in 1.55.3. The second elimination was the fastest as Italian trotter Pascia Lest driven by Fabrice Souloy won in 1.52. The third elimination was won by Denmark’s Tycoon Conway Hall driven by Steen Juul in 1.54.2.

In the final Lutfi Kolgjini decided to let his son, 23-year old Adrian drive Dante Boko.

“I have won the race before,” Kolgjini said. “The boy deserves this chance.”

And young Kolgjini honored the confidence placed in him as he guided Dante Boko, a grandson to Viking Kronos (sired by Going Kronos) to victory in 1.52. He was followed by Pascia Lest and the other Kolgjini-entry, Quick Fix, driven by Erik Adielsson.

The purse for the winner in the final was $60,000.

Opulent Yankee with Ake Svanstedt finished fourth in his elimination won by Pascia Lest, while Reven d’Amour driven by Yannick Gingras was disqualified for pacing down the stretch as the last horse.

On the undercard the Stoelite (an older mares contest) was won by Moving One (sired by Quite Easy) in 1.52.2, and the Harper Hanover, raced over nearly two miles. was won by the French trotter, Bird Parker (sired by Ready Cash) who was driven by Jos Verbeeck in a new world record of 1.56 (mile rate).