by Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Newsroom Senior Correspondent

The best 3-year-old trotter in Italy is without a doubt the chestnut filly Unicka. On Tuesday afternoon (Nov. 1), Unicka, driven by Pietro Gubellini, won the prestigious Gran Premio Orsi Mangelli in a very convincing way.

Gerard Forni photo

Unicka, driven by Pietro Gubellini, won the Orsi Mangelli.

Unicka, trained by Erik Bondo, was the heavy favorite in the Gran Premio Orsi Mangelli raced at the new track in Milan, La Maura.

Three weeks ago Unicka won the Italian Trotting Derby and she went to post today with 11 wins from 13 races.

The Orsi Mangelli was raced with two eliminations and a final — every race over 1,650 meters — or a little bit longer than a mile.

Unicka won her elimination in a new track record of 1:55 (mile rate) by open lengths, and in the final, she again was in a class of her own, timed in 1:56.1 (mile rate).

The purse in the final was $110,000.

Unicka is sired by the French champion sire Love You and out of a mare sired by Armbro Goal. She was sold as a yearling at the ITS Sale to Scuderia Wave for $22,000.

She now has earnings of $555,000.