by Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Big C Racing’s Creatine, with trainer/driver Robert Bergh, did not make it to the Elitlopp. On Saturday afternoon (May 23) Creatine finished fourth in a mile event at Gävle in Sweden, where Mosaique Face, driven by Lutfi Kolgjini, won in 1:51f, the fastest time for a trotter so far this year.

Bergh tried to get Creatine to the front from post position five, but the horses inside were too fast and Bergh took Creatine behind and found place at the pylons in the middle of the field. Mosaique Face, a 6-year-old trotter sired by Classic Photo, was able to take the lead from post position one and opened in :27.1.

The other North American entry, Maven with Johnny Takter, raced from post position seven and was eased from the start and later found a spot outside Creatine.

With 600 meters to go Takter made his move and going around the last bend it looked as though Maven was going to give Mosaique Face a match. But she faded a bit, while Mosaique Face was able to keep up the pace and won by three lengths in 1:51f. Maven fought bravely to finish second, timed in 1:51.3, while the Norwegian trotter Papagayo E with Bjorn Goop finished strongly to be third.

The victory was not only worth $50,000, but the winner also received an invitation to race in the Elitlopp.

Later on in the day Per Eriksson’s Royal Fighter, the Finnish Brett Boko and the French trained, but Swedish bred Vincennes were invited to race in the Elitlopp.

The 16 trotters who will race next Sunday are: Timoko–France; Maven–USA; On Track Piraten-Sweden; Wind Of The North–USA; B B S Sugarlight–Norway; Support Justice–Norway; Nahar–Sweden; Voltigeur de Myrt–France; Magic Tonight-Sweden; Univers de Pan–France; Nuncio–Sweden; Ustinof du Vivier–France; Mosaique Face–Sweden; Royal Fighter–Sweden; Brett Boko–Finland; and Vincennes-France.