by Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Newsroom Senior Correspondent

One of Europe’s biggest breeders of trotters, Boko Stables, which has farms in The Netherlands and Sweden, had a great Saturday afternoon (Nov. 28).

In Sweden 2-year-old Gareth Boko won the Breeders Prize, worth $160,000 at Jägersro and in France 5-year-old Dante Boko won the Group III race, Prix du Chenonceaux, worth $47,500 at Vincennes.

Gareth Boko, sired by Make It Happen, is the leading 2-year-old in Sweden. This was his fourth win from seven races and he has earned $220,000.

The victory in the Breeders Prize for Gareth Boko, with trainer/driver Per Lennartsson, was narrow over Racing Mange, driven by Joakim Lövgren. Both were timed in 1:59f.

At Vincennes, Dante Boko, driven by Dominik Locqueneux, took his fifth victory from 10 starts in France this year. Dante Boko won in 1:56.2 over the same distance as the Prix d’Amerique, 1-11/16th miles. However, the Prix d’Amerique isn’t a target for Dante Boko, as he is gelded, and geldings are not allowed to race in the Prix d’Amerique.

Dante Boko is sired by Going Kronos and has earnings alone in France this year of around $200,000. Dante Boko is trained by Lutfi Kolgjini, who had another winner on the day in Quick Fix, also with Belgium-born Dominik Locqueneux in the bike.

Swedish trainer Lutfi Kolgjini recently bought a farm in Normandy and will concentrate more on French races in the future.