by Karsten Bonsdorf, USTA web newsroom correspondent

Lou Guida’s 6-year-old Italian mare Lisa America was honored on Sunday (May 15) at Bjerke, Oslo as the overall winner of the European Grand Circuit series in 2010.

On behalf of Lou Guida, her trainer Jerry Riordan received the honor and a check of $130,000.

Lisa America, who finished a strong second behind Arch Madness in the Oslo Grand Prix on Sunday, wasn’t the only trotter Guida and Riordan raced at Bjerke.

In the Europamatch — a race for 4- and 5-year-old trotters over the 1-5/16th mile distance — Melton Kronos, driven by Torbjörn Jansson, finished second, beaten two lengths by Joke Face (sired by Viking Kronos) with Lutfi Kolgjini of Sweden. Melton Kronos picked up a check of $27,000. Joke Face was a notable winner in 1:56.1f (mile rate).

Though it was rainy day at Bjerke the track was in super condition and the 9-year-old Cromwell (sired by Credit Winner and driven by Per Olof Midtfjeld) won an elimination of the Megaman Cup in a new track record of 1:53.3f. In the final, Cromwell finished second behind the Danish entry Local Conch (sired by King Conch and driven by Flemming Jensen), who won in 1:54.3f.

A mile race for 4-year-old trotters was won by the Swedish Orecchietti (sired by From Above and driven by ôrjan Kihlström), who came with a late brush to win in 1:55f.

The Belgium-owned, Italian bred mare Marielles (sired by Kick Tail and driven by Christophe Martens) was an easy winner over the mile in 1:54.4f, lowering her own record from 1:57.3f.

Finnish-bred Brad de Veluwe seems to be something very special. The Andover Hall colt was outstanding in the 3-year-old Elite as he won leading all the way in a hand drive from Toumas Korvenoja in 1:56.3f. This was his fifth victory from six races.

Finally the Swedish-bred, but Dutch trained 4-year-old Global Money (driven by Hugo Langeweg, Jr.) deserves to be mentioned as he won in impressive style, though he had to trot outside the leader without cover for most of the trip in a 1-5/16th mile event. Down the stretch there was just one horse at the track — Global Money — who won by open lengths in 1:56.2f (mile rate). His former record was 2:02.1f. Global Money, who is sired by the top French stallion Love You, has now won 11 out of 12 races.