American-bred trotters win royal trots in Sweden
May 17, 2015,by Karsten Bønsdorf, , USTA Newsroom Senior Correspondent
Two North American-bred trotters were winners of the Kings and Queens Trophy raced Saturday afternoon at Aby Racetrack in Gothenburg. Both are trained and owned by world famous photographer Stefan “Tarzan” Melander.
Volstead – a $50,000 purchase as a yearling – won the Kings Trophy with driver Ôrjan Kihlström. Volstead, who is sired by Cantab Hall, won the 1-5/16 mile event worth $115,000 in 1.57f (mile rate) followed by Spartan Kronos by Muscle Hill.
Ruby Trap was an easy winner for Johnny Takter in 1.58f (mile rate) – winning for the ninth time in 12 starts for a purse of $115,000.
Ruby Trap, who is out of the same dam as Hambletonian winner Scarlet Knight – also owned, driven and trained by Stefan Melander, was a $45,000 yearling purchase. She is by Explosive Matter.
The Kings and The Queens Trophy is the first International stake race for 4-year-old trotters in Sweden. On the same card another North American-bred trotter won and secured himself a spot in the Elitlopp.
Magic Tonight, by Andover Hall and driven by Ôrjan Kihlström, won by a nose in 1:53.2f followed by Reven d’Amour, who last year finished fifth in the Elitlopp.