by Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Newsroom Senior Correspondent

No less than 14,487 fans were present Saturday afternoon (July 5) as the Halmstad Track in Southern Sweden was home for the mare division of the Sprintermästaren.

The race called Stosprinten is for 4-year old mares and eliminations were held last week.

Ten mares were behind the gate and the favorite was Air Frame, driven by Per Lennartsson and trained, bred and owned by world renowned Stefan “Tarzan” Melander.

Kanal 75 photo

Air Frame won the Stosprinten on Saturday in Sweden.

Lennartsson sent Air Frame to the lead and stayed on to win very easily in 1:54f, followed by USA bred My Glidin Angel and Blue Marine As.

Air Frame is sired by Melander’s Hambletonian winner Scarlet Knight, who is a very successful sire in Sweden. Her dam is Sunset Kosmos by SJ’s Photo, who was sold as a yearling in 2002 to Sweden for $12,000. Sunset Kosmos has had just three living foals and Air Frame is by far the best.

On the undercard the 3-year-old filly Juniata Hanover — raised and bred at Hanover Shoe Farm — was an impressive winner over the mile winning in 1:55f with open lengths. In the bike was Björn Goop; the filly is trained in Norway by Frode Hamre.

Last year Juniata Hanover was campaigned by Ron Burke and took a mark of 1:57.3f and earned $105,173 before being sold to Norway.