by Karsten Bonsdorf, USTA web newsroom correspondent

El Mago Pellino, a 4-year-old trotter sired by Chocolatier, won the prestigious Kings Trophy, raced over the 1-1/16th mile distance at Aby racetrack in Gothenburg, Sweden, on Thursday night (May 16).

Kanal 75 photo

El Mago Pellino won the prestigious Kings Trophy on Thursday.

The race is an international race for 4-year-old trotters with a purse for the winner of $125,000 and two years ago Wishing Stone won the race.

Lutfi Kolgini, who trains El Mago Pellini, was in the bike and made his move going around the last bend.

Down the stretch it looked as if the favorite, Quid Pro Quo (sired by Yankee Glide) with Ulf Olsson, was going to win, but El Mago Pellini finished strong to win by a half-length in 1:56f (mile rate), which tied the race and track record for 4-year-old trotters.

El Mago Pellini has a 100 percent American pedigree as he is sired by Chocolatier and out of My Intuition. She is by Andover Hall and the lightning fast mare CR Kay Suzie.

The mares division was won easily by Gisela As, driven by Ake Svanstedt, in 1:56.3f (mile rate). She’s nearly an American, too, as she was born and raised at the ACL Farm in Kentucky.

As a 2- and 3-year-old she was campaigned by Anette Lorentzon and won six races from 20 starts, $146,495 and took a mark of 1:56.
She is by Infinitif, an Italian son of Pine Chip, owned by the legendary French horseman Jean Pierre Dubois. Infinitif is now at stud in Sweden.

The dam of Gisela As is a pacer, the unraced Golden Door Lindy, sired by Cambest and out of Special Soul, she by Artsplace.