109th Magyar Trotting Derby held at Kincsem Park

The 109^th harness racing edition of the Magyar Trotting Derby (purse 14,000,000HUF, 2500 meters autostart for four olds) took place this day (July 1) at Kincsem Park in Budapest, Hungary.

The 2,6/1 odds Devoted (4m Maharajah-Wale-Center Field) was a game front end winner timed in 1.17.7kr with trainer Emil Csordas his pilot. This was Devoted’s second 2023 win in six outings and his fourth career victory in 17 tries.

Dee Dee AT (4f El Nino-Simb Lorrikeet-Pearsall Hanover) was placed second with Peter Zadel Jr. aboard. Dolomit Boy was a miscue dq as the 3.8/1 second choice. 67.6/1 Diana Gull (4f Maximus Lindy-Nelli Gull-Yankee Yankee) was placed third with Tamas Tanczer her teamster. Dumbledore was placed fourth at 6.9/1.

The undercard was a good one. The Pannonia DIJ (purse 3,000,000HUf, 1800 meters autostart) went to 2.7/1 Bugatti SS (6g From Above-Jasmin Diamant-Sugarcane Hanover) with Christoph Schwarz and the lines for trainer Robert Gramuller.

Timed in 1.14.4kr this was his first 2023 win in two starts in Hungary. Bonaparte Boss (6g Napoleon-Nikita-Crown Sweep) was second for trainer/driver Veljko Mazsity at 1.9/1 favorite odds. The 12.8/1 Catania R (3g One Too Many-Campola RAL-Toss Out) was third for Mitja Slavic.

In the Connollys Red Mills (purse 3,000,000Huf, 1800 meters autostart) the 6.4/1 Enjoy (3m Maharajah-Journey Boko-Zola Boko) was an easy 1.16.6kr timed winner with notes France trainer Fabrice Souloy the driver. The Bernadette Balogh trainer and Prolongo owned colt won for the first time in four 2023 starts.

Stablemate Ejjeli Holgy (3f Maharajah-Night Lady-Tony Oaks) was second at 1.7/1 odds with Imre Fazekas driving for the Balogh/Prolongo trainer/owner team. 13.5/1 Eternity Bar (3f Maharajah-Solomar Bar-Ganymede) was third for pilot Christoph Schwarc and again the Balogh/Prolongo team.

Driver Souloy also won two qualifying events before the betting card with Fantastic Love (2f Nuncio-Ellaie Merite) in 1.20.6kr and with his namesake Fabrice (2m Maximus Lindy-Noraville) both also part of the Balogh/Prolongo trotting squad.

Back to the top-level main program. The Jozsef Sinka Memorial (purse 1,200,000HUf, 1800 meters autostart) saw 7.6/1 odds Days Of Thunder (5m SJs Caviar-Donatella Comtesse-Donato Hanover) score in 1.13.4kr for pilot Christoph Schwarz and trainer Robert Gramuller. He won for the first time in HU in this his first appearance.

Zitti Tutti (8f Napoleon-Isola d’Arno-Coktail Jet) was second at 4.3/1 for Veljko Mazsity ahead of 10.4/1 Cardenas Baba (5f From Above-Ullan Baler Babe-Love You) handled by Goran Zolnaji. Two of the favorites, Maugli and Palace Bo, were miscue dq’s in the late going.

The Kincsem Park management and the horseman again combined to present competitive trotting action to the fans on this Derby Weekend that included gallop and greyhound Derbies, fashion shows and fan friendly food/entertainment.

Kincsem Park files/photos – harness trots

by Thomas H. Hicks, for Harnesslink