by Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Newsroom Senior Correspondent
Vitruvio with trainer/driver Alessandro Gocciadoro in the bike won the prestigious Gran Premio Orsi Mangelli in Milan, Italy on Wednesday afternoon (Nov. 1).
Vitruvio won his elimination and the final in a convincing way. He won his elimination in 1:56f and the final in 1:55.3f. The purse for the winner was $150,000.
The Orsi Mangelli was a big triumph for Gocciadoro, who also trains Vanesia Ek, who won the other elimination and came in second in the final, driven by Pietro Gubellini.
And to make the day even better for Gocciadoro, the Orsi Mangelli Filly with a purse for the winner of $37,500 was won by Vallecchia Dr, also trained and driven by Gocciadoro in 1:55.4f.
Both Vitruvio and Vallecchia DR were sired by Adrian Chip (he by Andover Hall). Adrian Chip has been at stud in Sweden and is well known as the sire of top Swedish 4-year-old Diamanten, but this year Adrian Chip has only covered 18 mares.
Recently it was announced that he had been sold to Italian interests and will stand at stud near Parma in 2018, so the results of the Orsi Mangelli races were very good news for the new owner.
On the same card the Gran Premio delle Nazioni, one of Europe’s classic races for older trotters, was won by Uza Josselyn, driven by Gabriele Gelormini.
Uza Josselyn, sired by Love You, was boxed in until the stretch, where Gelormini found racing room, and Uza Josselyn finished strong to get past long leading Timone Ek, driven by Enrico Bellei, to capture the purse for the winner of $150,000.