by Karsten Bonsdorf, USTA web newsroom correspondent

The Ulf Thoresen Memorial for 3-year-old trotters at the Jarlsberg racetrack in Norway on Sunday (July 15) was won by Pojke Kronos, driven by Ôrjan Kilhström, followed by Quid Pro Quo and Nato Dream.

Ôrjan Kihström gave Pojke Kronos a nice trip and made his move going into the stretch. Pojke Kronos won the 1-5/16th mile event in 1:59.1f (mile rate) with a purse for the winner of $100,000.

Pojke Kronos is an Italian-bred, but Swedish owned and trained son of Donato Hanover and is out of Flicka Kronos, who won the filly division in 2005. She is sired by Viking Kronos. Pojke Kronos is her first foal and he was sold for $225,000 as a yearling. He now has five wins from eight races.

Pojke Kronos is trained by Roger Wallman, who had a close relationship to Ulf Thoresen, so the victory was very emotional.

Second place finisher Quid Pro Quo, who was parked out most of the race without cover, is sired by Yankee Glide, while third place Nato Dream is by Donato Hanover.

The filly division raced over the mile was by another Italian bred trotter, Proud Wood (sired by the French stallion Goetmals Wood), driven by Arnold Mollema in 2:00.1f. The purse for the winner was $25,000.