by Karsten Bonsdorf, USTA web newsroom correspondent

Lou Guida’s tough Italian mare Lisa America was defeated at Tordivalle in Rome, Italy on Sunday afternoon (Dec. 26).

She was the 7-10 favorite in the Gran Premio Gala dei Trotto, a 1-5/16th mile event, with a purse for the winner of $90,000. Even though the top Swedish driver Torbjörn Jansson gave her a nice trip, she faded badly down the stretch and finished fifth.

Jansson guided Lisa America to the front after the first quarter and they were in command until the stretch. As Irving Rivarco with Roberto Vecchione came to challenge, Lisa America couldn’t find an extra gear and faded.

Irving Rivarco looked as though he was going to win, but with a late brush Look MP, driven by V. P. Deli’Annunziata, Jr., came up on the outside and went past to win by a length in 1:56.4f (mile rate). Irving Rivarco was second, while Julius del Ronco took third.

The winner was sired by Sugarcane Hanover and is out of a Supergill mare. This was his 18th win from 75 races and Look MP has now earned $275,000.

This was by far his biggest win ever. This year Look MP has been a stalwart in the open class in Italy, where he has been a runner-up several times.

Though Lisa America was a big disappointment, plans still call for her to go to the Prix d’Amerique and her next race will be the Prix de Belgique on January 16 at Vincennes. That’s the fourth and last test race for the Prix d’Amerique.

“I believe that Lisa America became too stressed before the start yesterday,” trainer Jerry Riordan said.

The start was postponed for several minutes because of a late scratch and therefore Lisa America stressed herself and became too headstrong during the race.

“I took her pulse after the race, and that was normal, but of course I’ll have the veterinarian look her over when she returns to my stable later today,” Riordan added.

Severino gets ticket for Prix d’Amerique

There was not only the purse for the winner of $155,000 at stake in the Criterium Continental at Vincennes Sunday afternoon, but the winner also got a ticket for the Prix d’Amerique.

The Criterium Continental is for 4-year-old trotters and raced over the 1-5/16th mile distance, and as usual the field had entries from all over Europe.

Gerard Forni photo

Severino won the Criterium Continental on Sunday afternoon.

Though the French trotter Severino, who is owned and trained by Christian Bigeon, is not known as being the most reliable trotter, he was the favorite at 11-2. In other words, it was a very open race.

After the half-mile, Bigeon directed Severino to the front and stayed there to win by a half-length in 1:56, followed by another French entry, Save The Quick with Franck Nivard, while the Swedish Zorro Photo, driven by Jos. Verbeeck, finished strongly to be third.

Severino was a $4,000 bargain as a yearling and now has earnings of $700,000. He is sired by the French sire Gobernador, who is a grandson to Royal Prestige.

Christian Bigeon hails from a family who has bred and raced trotters for many years. Every year he carefully prepares his trotters to be ready for the prestigious winter meeting in Paris. Last year Bigeon became the champion owner and he is leading the way again this winter. His trotters so far have won more than $2 million in 2010.