The 75th Gran Premio Lotteria races on May 1 at the Agnano track in Naples, Italy, resulted in a surprising win for the 6-year-old Italian trotter Capital Mail with Antonio de Nardi in the bike and trained by Gennaro Casilo.

The world’s fastest trotter in 2024, Vernissage Grif (sired by Varenne) with trainer/driver Alessandro Gocciadoro was the heavy favorite to win the race for the third time in a row. Everything seemed to go to plan after Vernissage Grif won his elimination in 1:53.3f, which was the fastest among the three eliminations.

The two other eliminations were won by Diamond Truppo (sired by Varenne) with Gaetano di Nardo in 1:54.4f and Denver Gio (sired by Southwind Frank) with Gocciadoro in 1:53.4f.

In fact, Gocciadoro sent eight trotters to race in the three eliminations and four of them made it to the final.

In the final Sweden’s Night Brodde with Conrad Lugauer took the lead followed on the outside by Italy’s Vincero Gar with Andrea Farolfi; just behind Vincero Gar, Gocciadoro placed Vernissage Grif, who then had a perfect position.

But after the first quarter the speed was taken out of the race and that made Vernissage Grif make a break and he was out of the race.

Now the 18-1 shot Capital Mail (sired by Nad Al Sheba) with Antonio di Nardo came in attack and got the lead with five-eighths of a mile to go. Capital Mail was in command the rest of the trip and won in 1:53.3f followed by Night Brodde and Deus Zack.

Capital Mail, who last year finished third in the Lotteria, got 260,000 Euro for the win.