by Karsten Bonsdorf, USTA web newsroom correspondent

Dutch trained trotters were in command in the German Trotting Derby on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 4) at the Mariendorf track in Berlin, as the first four past the post are trained in The Netherlands. The hot favorite Tiger Woods As, driven by Robin Bakker, was an easy winner.

The Deutsches Traber Derby — which is the correct name for the German Trotting Derby — was raced for 166th time and as always for 3-year-old trotters over the 1-3/16th-mile distance.

Last week there were eliminations and based upon the results Tiger Woods As was made the 4-10 favorite for the final.

Tiger Woods As hails from the first crop sired by Quick Wood, a French stallion sired by Love You, who has been the European champion sire the last two years.

French Love You has also been very popular in Germany, where he has been number one for several years, and in the filly Derby, he has sired four out of the last five winners. This year his winner was Fraülein Wunder with Roland Hülskath in the bike.

The favorite in the Filly Derby was Mustangs Sally, with Robin Bakker and trained by Paul Hagoort of The Netherlands. Mustangs Sally is sired by Quick Wood, but made a break and was disqualified.

But luckily Bakker and Hagoort had another chance for a big win over the weekend at Mariendorf with Tiger Woods As.

Tiger Woods As took an early lead and went on to win by two lengths in 1:59.3 (mile rate) followed by Duke of Greenwood with Peter Strooper and stablemate Stanislawski with Dominik Locqueneux finishing third.

The purse for the winner was $155,000.

Tiger Wood As is out of Tiegs Blue Chip (she by Yankee Glide–Spring Thaw). Tiegs Blue Chip never made it to the races and was sold at Harrisburg in 2006 to famed German breeder Alwin Schockemöhle for $9,000.

Tiger Woods As, who is the third foal out of Tiegs Blue Chip, was sold at the Derbysale in Berlin two years ago for $45,000. Now he has earnings of $220,000.