Ina Scot

Ina Scot

Breed	Standardbred
Sire	Allen Hanover
Grandsire	Super Bowl
Dam	Lovina Grefgård
Maternal grandsire	Mad Scot
Sex	Mare
Foaled	June 22, 1989
Country	Sweden
Colour	Dark bay
Breeder	Carl Henrik Brandel
Owner	Ina-Q AB & Kjell P Dahlström AB
Trainer	Kjell P. Dahlström
Honors
Record
90: 54-11-6
Earnings
US$2,963,019
Major wins
Färjestads Nordiska Treåringspris (1992) Swedish Trotting Criterium (1992) Breeders Crown (1992, 1993) Drottning Silvias Pokal (1993) Stochampionatet (1993) Swedish Trotting Derby (1993) Grand Prix de l'U.E.T. (1993) Forus Open (1994) St. Michel Race (1994) Prix d'Amérique (1995) Gran Premio della Lotteria (1995) Oslo Grand Prix (1996)
Awards
Horse of the Year Award (1992, 1993, 1995) 3-year-old of the Year (1992) 4-year-old of the Year (1993)
Last updated on: 2009-01-31.

Ina Scot (June 22, 1989 – December 21, 2013)^[1] was a Swedish racing trotter by Allen Hanover out of Lovina Grefgård by Mad Scot.^[2]

Her most prestigious victories included the Swedish Trotting Criterium (Swedish: Svenskt Travkriterium) (1992), the Swedish Trotting Derby (Swedish: Svenskt Travderby) (1993), Grand Prix de l'U.E.T. (1993), Prix d'Amérique (1995), Gran Premio della Lotteria (1995) and Oslo Grand Prix (1996). At the end of her career, the mare had earned US$2,963,019.^[3][4][5] Her 31 consecutive wins between April 28, 1992 and March 7, 1994 was a new world record.^[6][7] Ina Scot was awarded the Horse of the Year Award in Sweden for 1992, 1993 and 1995.^[8]

Early years

As a filly, Ina Scot was discovered and purchased by Swedish horseman Kjell P. Dahlström close to his farm Hassangården outside Tranås, Sweden.^[9] Dahlström would be the mare's trainer during her entire career and either he or his then-wife Helen A. Johansson would drive Ina Scot in all her 90 races.^[6]

Racing career

1991 - 2 years old

Ina Scot made her competitive debut as a two-year-old on August 26, 1991, at her home racetrack, Mantorp. She won that race as well as three other events during 1991. In the biggest Swedish event for trotters two years old, Svensk Uppfödningslöpning, she finished fifth.^[6][10]

1992 - 3 years old

Ina Scot did not manage to win any of her first three races in 1992, but after that, she started to line up victories in a fashion that had never been seen before. She won a world record breaking 31 straight wins between April 28, 1992 and March 7, 1994.^[6][7] During this run, at age three, she claimed major Swedish stakes races Färjestads Nordiska Treåringspris, the Swedish Trotting Criterium and Breeders Crown open for 3-year-old mares.^[6]

1993 - 4 years old

As a four-year-old, Ina Scot won all the events she participated in. Always being the heavy favourite, she took prestigious trophies like Drottning Silvias Pokal, Stochampionatet, the Swedish Trotting Derby, Grand Prix de l'U.E.T. (her first race abroad) and Breeders Crown open for mares age four. Her track record was perfect that year, 17 for 17, and she was accompanied by Dahlström at all these occasions. Ina Scot earned US$1,003,789 in 1993.^[6][11]

1994 - 5 years old

In her debut of 1994, in a minor race at home track Mantorp on March 7, Ina Scot's winning streak came to an end. On April 16, she entered her first major event for seasoned trotters, Olympiatravet at Åby. Together with Dahlström, she finished fourth, but they avenged the loss a fortnight later when they claimed Forus Open in Norway. Her next big task was the Swedish Elitloppet at Solvalla in Stockholm, one of the world's premiere international trotting events.^[6][12] However, Dahlström and Ina Scot failed to progress from the eliminations. Later in the summer, the mare won the St. Michel Race in Mikkeli, Finland. She finished outside the money in big events like Jubileumspokalen at Solvalla and Preis der Besten in Munich, Germany, but managed to win a couple of smaller domestic races. 20 races during the year meant 10 wins and US$291,384.^[6][13]

1995 - 6 years old

The historic win in Prix d'Amérique

In early 1995, Ina Scot and her connections attended the Vincennes winter meeting in Paris, France. On January 15, they got nothing out of Prix de Belgique. Two weeks later they competed in Prix d'Amérique, the biggest race in France and one of the greatest harness events in the world.^[6][14] Helen A. Johansson, who sat up behind Ina Scot in Prix d'Amérique, was the first woman ever to drive in the race.^[15] With a soft hand, Johansson guided her mare past the favourite, French Vourasie, in the stretch. Thus, Johansson became not only the first woman to race in Prix d'Amérique, but also the first woman to win the great event.^[16]

The year would bring another huge win. In May, Ina Scot claimed the big international Italian event Gran Premio della Lotteria at Agnano, Naples. For the second time, she failed to reach the final of Elitloppet. She took part of, and had moderate success in, other major Swedish races like Olympiatravet, Hugo Åbergs Memorial and Jubileumspokalen. Abroad, she raced at among others Norwegian racetrack Bjerke in Oslo, German track Gelsenkirchen, and San Siro in Milan, but none of these trips resulted in victories.^[6]

In 1995, Ina Scot made 23 starts out of which she won eight. She earned US$967,627 that year.^[6][17]

1996 - 7 years old

In the year that would be Ina Scot's last on the tracks, her connections chose a similar start of the campaign as the previous year. France and Vincennes was once again paid a visit. First the mare entered Prix de Belgique and two weeks later Prix d'Amérique. The success of 1995 was not to be repeated, as Ina Scot and driver Johansson finished fourth in Prix d'Amérique, before they rounded off the last French trip by ending up without money in Prix de France.^[6]

After a rest period of a couple of months, Ina Scot returned in April, but lost a minor race at home track Mantorp. On May 12, she claimed the Norwegian international race Oslo Grand Prix. Ina Scot then once again tried to make it to the Elitloppet final, but failed. This marked the end of her career as a racing horse.^[6]

The last year on the racetracks gave a total of US$168,227 in six races and one win.^[6][18] Her total sum of earnings during the entire racing career was US$2,963,019, making her the richest Swedish mare trotter ever.^[4][5][19]

Breeding career

After quitting racing, Ina Scot started her new career as a breeding mare. Her first offspring, Ambassadeur Brunn, was born in April 1998 before Ina Scot was purchased by German Michael Schröer. During her years in Germany, Ina Scot gave birth to Nordic Gold November (b. 2000), Oscar November (b. 2001) and Paul November (b. 2002, finalist in the Swedish Trotting Derby 2006^[20]).^[21][22] In August 2007, the Italian-born colt Michael November was the most expensive among 63 one-year-olds sold at a horse sale in the Netherlands, costing €66,000.^[23] At this time, it was reported that Schröer had sold Ina Scot to Dutch real estate broker Ger Visser.^[24]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Ina Scot

Sire Allen Hanover	Super Bowl	Star's Pride	Worthy Boy
			Star Drift
		Pillow Talk	Rodney
			Bewitch
	Amalulu	Noble Victory	Victory Song
			Emily's Pride
		Important	The Intruder
			Ilo Hanover
Dam Lovina Grefgård	Mad Scot	Speedy Scot	Speedster
			Scotch Love
		Mellis	Star's Pride
			Honey Flower
	Lovisa	Lowton	D'Estrees
			Diane de la Siette
		Uhleen Asa	Calumet Dick
			Miss Uhleen Asa

^[2]

References