by Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Newsroom Senior Correspondent

The Finnish 3-year-old star trotter Jontte Boy, driven by his trainer, Tuomas Korvenoja, was an easy winner of the prestigious Gran Premio Orsi Mangelli at the Stupinigi track in Turin, Italy.

Jontte Boy won the 1-5/8th-mile event in 1:58.4f, followed three lengths back by Sansone Bar, driven by Pietro Gubellini. The purse for the winner was $115,000.

Gerard Forni photo

Jontte Boy won the Gran Premio Orsi Mangelli.

Jontte Boy is sired by the French champion Love You and out of South Hanover, she by Andover Hall–Southern Drawl by Super Bowl.

South Hanover raced four times in the United States and won a race and took a mark of 2:02.4f and had earnings of $3,371. She was sold to Finland in 2007 and her first foal was a filly sired by Mr Pine Ship, named Rachel Dream, who earned just $750.

However, her next and last foal, Jontte, Boy is an international star, who two months ago won the European Championship for 3- year-old trotters and is a winner of the Finnish Kriterium, the biggest race for 3-year-old trotters in that country. Jontte Boy has raced 12 times and won nine races and has a record of 1:55f.

The filly division raced over the mile was won by Swan Wise As (she by Varenne) driven by Roberto Vecchione in 1:57.1.f.

The Gran Premio Orsi Mangelli used to be raced at the San Siro Track in Milan, but that historic track closed last year and the Turin track adopted the race.