Varenne, one of harness racing's greatest trotters of all time, has passed away at the age of 31, according to international media reports.

Named Horse of the Year in three different countries and inducted into the U.S. Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2010, the stallion passed away from a heart attack overnight between Monday, Aug. 17 and Tuesday, Aug. 18 at Dario De Angelis's LJ Stud Farm in Eboli, Italy.

Varenne, a paternal grandson of 2003 U.S. Hall of Famer Speedy Somolli, retired as the richest trotter of all time and the fastest all-age and aged trotter on a five-eighths mile track (1:51.3). It is no wonder fans referred to him as 'Il Capitano.'

Varenne began his racing career in 1998 as a three-year-old. He had eight wins, including the Italian Derby, in 11 starts and banked nearly $600,000 USD that year. As a four-year-old, he was undefeated in his 14 starts, including the European Championship, the Premio d’Europa, the Premio Continentale and the Gran Premio della Nazioni, with season earnings of $716,579 USD.

As a five-year-old in 2000, Varenne took victories in France’s Grand Prix Encat and Coupe du Monde. In addition, he took Sweden’s Olympia Travet and Italy’s Gran Premio del Lotteria, clinching Italy’s Horse of the Year title. His 13 wins out of 18 starts netted him $1,085,254 USD.

Varenne continued to excel with age and in 2001, at the age of six, became the first trotter in 34 years to sweep three of international harness racing’s prestigious titles: the Prix d’Amerique (winning in the second fastest time ever), the Elitlopp and the Gran Premio del Lotteria. His other victories that season included the Trot Mondial, Prix Locatelli, Premio Roma, Prix Renzo Orlandi and the second leg of the World Cup/Elite Rennen. He became the first European horse to win a Breeders Crown, and even set a world record of 1:51.1 in the process. He also stands as the first foreign trotter to be elected France’s Horse of the Year and took the U.S. Trotting Horse of the Year title. With 14 starts and 13 wins, Varenne had season earnings totaling $1,825,297 USD.

In 2002, Varenne became the fifth horse to have consecutive wins in the Elitlopp. He took it in a world record time of 1:53.1 in the elimination and then bested that mark by winning the final in 1:53 – the fastest mile ever trotted around three turns. Varenne scored a second-year Prix d’Amerique victory, this time in 1:57 (mile-rated) for the 15/8-mile race. That year, Varenne topped the $2 million mark with $2,188,048 USD with 14 wins out of 15 starts.

Varenne was retired from racing in November 2002 with a reported 62 wins from a reported 73 starts and $5,651,061 USD in earnings. 

He had a long and successful stud career in Italy and Sweden. From limited North American crops, his offspring includes Southwind Serena 3,1:55.2 ($388,784) who won the 2007 Breeders Crown and is the dam of top sire Tactical Landing as well as world champion Mission Brief, the dam of 2026 Hambletonian winner Apex.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of Varenne.

(With files from Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame)