By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Hambletonian winner Nordic Catcher S, who hadn’t raced since capturing the million-dollar classic last August 2, showed no rust at all from his time away, winning a qualifier by fourteen lengths in 1:55.1 Wednesday at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
The four-year-old by Six Pack – That Woman Hanover crossed over to the rail with the lead despite starting from the outside post in about a dozen steps, and trainer-driver Åke Svanstedt may have made the horse think this was just another legging-up mile when the pair reached the first two poles in :29.4 and :59.3.
Coming off the second turn, though, the distance between the pacesetter and his opposition started to grow, with the three-quarters reached in 1:28, and then Svanstedt shook the horse up a little on the far turn, with the champion trotter responded with a :27.1 closing quarter while appearing well within himself – a big first step for Team Svanstedt, with Åke Svanstedt Inc. the owner with Little E LLC.
In the first baby qualifiers of the season, nine events to open a twelve-race program, Team Svanstedt came out roaring, winning five of the six trots, including a sweep of the filly events. The fastest mile among the freshmen – filly or colt, trotter or pacer – came from Anu, a daughter of Father Patrick out of Senorita Rita, who was the Goldsmith Maid and Kindergarten winner at two and earned over $400G. Anu is looking to race back to her royal parentage, going in 1:58.4 in his first charted line, on the engine with back fractions of :58.3 - :29.1, with Åke driving for AB Svensk Reklamfinans LLC.
Åke trains and drove Laurensstrongluck (Muscle Hill – Lucky Ave), a winner in 2:01.4, own last quarter :28.4. Åke would have driven as well as trained all three filly winners, but wife Sarah won by a nose with Emotica (Walner-Jula Emmylou Me) in 2:04.2 over the Åke-driven Eternal Light.
Team Svanstedt’s two male winners in the trotting ranks were Easy Down Blonde, a Walner - Hey Blondie colt who finished in :58.1 - :28.1 to win in a 2:00.2 mile, and Hypersonic, a Chapter Seven – Fleur De Hill colt who came home in :29 in a 2:01.3 effort.
The horse who stood in the way of a Svanstedt baby sweep was the Captain Corey – Are You Ready colt Celebrity Hunter, who handed Big Time Trot S and the stable their only freshman loss Wednesday with a neck decision in 2:02.1, with the winner closing in :58 - :28.2 for driver Matt Kakaley and trainer Hunter Oakes.
Kakaley and Oakes also combined on the fastest pacer of the session, the Huntsville – Twin B Fabulous colt Twin B Wildfire, who paced raw in :57 - :28 to complete a 1:59 victory. Todd Schadel trains and drove the other two successful freshmen, both by Papi Rob Hanover: Dragon Flame (dam Dragon Lady Art) to a 2:01.1 - :58 - :28.3 success in the day’s only filly pace, and the gelding Papi Was Right (dam Dabb), who closed in :58.4 - :29.1 to stop the timer in 2:02.3.
The Pocono qualifiers can be viewed at www.phha.org.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Hambletonian winner Nordic Catcher S, who hadn’t raced since capturing the million-dollar classic last August 2, showed no rust at all from his time away, winning a qualifier by fourteen lengths in 1:55.1 Wednesday at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
The four-year-old by Six Pack – That Woman Hanover crossed over to the rail with the lead despite starting from the outside post in about a dozen steps, and trainer-driver Åke Svanstedt may have made the horse think this was just another legging-up mile when the pair reached the first two poles in :29.4 and :59.3.
Coming off the second turn, though, the distance between the pacesetter and his opposition started to grow, with the three-quarters reached in 1:28, and then Svanstedt shook the horse up a little on the far turn, with the champion trotter responded with a :27.1 closing quarter while appearing well within himself – a big first step for Team Svanstedt, with Åke Svanstedt Inc. the owner with Little E LLC.
In the first baby qualifiers of the season, nine events to open a twelve-race program, Team Svanstedt came out roaring, winning five of the six trots, including a sweep of the filly events. The fastest mile among the freshmen – filly or colt, trotter or pacer – came from Anu, a daughter of Father Patrick out of Senorita Rita, who was the Goldsmith Maid and Kindergarten winner at two and earned over $400G. Anu is looking to race back to her royal parentage, going in 1:58.4 in his first charted line, on the engine with back fractions of :58.3 - :29.1, with Åke driving for AB Svensk Reklamfinans LLC.
Åke trains and drove Laurensstrongluck (Muscle Hill – Lucky Ave), a winner in 2:01.4, own last quarter :28.4. Åke would have driven as well as trained all three filly winners, but wife Sarah won by a nose with Emotica (Walner-Jula Emmylou Me) in 2:04.2 over the Åke-driven Eternal Light.
Team Svanstedt’s two male winners in the trotting ranks were Easy Down Blonde, a Walner - Hey Blondie colt who finished in :58.1 - :28.1 to win in a 2:00.2 mile, and Hypersonic, a Chapter Seven – Fleur De Hill colt who came home in :29 in a 2:01.3 effort.
The horse who stood in the way of a Svanstedt baby sweep was the Captain Corey – Are You Ready colt Celebrity Hunter, who handed Big Time Trot S and the stable their only freshman loss Wednesday with a neck decision in 2:02.1, with the winner closing in :58 - :28.2 for driver Matt Kakaley and trainer Hunter Oakes.
Kakaley and Oakes also combined on the fastest pacer of the session, the Huntsville – Twin B Fabulous colt Twin B Wildfire, who paced raw in :57 - :28 to complete a 1:59 victory. Todd Schadel trains and drove the other two successful freshmen, both by Papi Rob Hanover: Dragon Flame (dam Dragon Lady Art) to a 2:01.1 - :58 - :28.3 success in the day’s only filly pace, and the gelding Papi Was Right (dam Dabb), who closed in :58.4 - :29.1 to stop the timer in 2:02.3.
The Pocono qualifiers can be viewed at www.phha.org.
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