by Karsten Bonsdorf, USTA web newsroom correspondent

Occhione Jet, a 73-1 shot driven by Roberto Vecchione, won the Gran Premio Allevatori at Tordivalle in Rome on Wednesday afternoon (Dec. 8). The purse for the winner was $125,000.

No less than 19 trotters were entered in the race, a 1-5/16th mile event, however three were scratched. The heavy favorite, Oropuro Bar, driven by Marco Smorgon, went off stride early in the race and was disqualified.

Opal Brown, driven by Federico Esposito, was in command from the start and fought bravely down the stretch. However a fast finishing Occhione Jet just managed to get the better of Opal Brown to win by a neck in 2:02.2f (mile rate). Opal Brown took second, while Odiloz with N. Cintura (post position 19) finished third.

Though Occhione Jet went into the race with three wins from four races he was a 73-1 shot, probably because he had raced in Naples and at minor tracks in Southern Italy. The winner was sired by Pine Chip and out of a Supergill mare.

The filly division was a big success for Italy’s leading trainer/driver Enrico Bellei, as the first two finishers came from his stable. However Bellei himself had to settle for second with Ombretta Bar as Roberto Andreghetti guided One Minut di No to the victory worth $50,000. She was timed in 1:59.2f over the mile.

This was win number five from 11 races for One Minut di No, who was sired by Indro Park and out of a Crown’s Invitation mare.

Enrico Bellei won two races on the undercard and has now won 509 races in Italy this year. That’s a new Italian record and the most wins by any European driver in 2010.

In France racing at Vincennes was cancelled after the first two races on Wednesday afternoon due to the heaviest snowfall in Paris in 23 years!