Allegiant, a former North American stakes star, became the first mare in 28 years to win the prestigious Elitloppet with an outstanding world record performance at Solvalla Racecourse in Stockholm, Sweden on Sunday, May 31.

Trained by Daniel Redén, Allegiant won the Elitloppet final contested over 1,609m in 1:07.1, for a mile rate of 1:48.

Driver Örjan Kihlström fired the five-year-old mare to the top from post seven in a fast start and had the field stretched out following in single file most of the race. Allegiant remained dominant on the front through the stretch while her rivals fanned out and chased in vain. Dream Mine (Mats E. Djuse) finished second and last year's champion Go On Boy (Romain Derieux), an elimination heat winner earlier in the day, rounded out the top three.

"I hope that everyone here today will remember this Elitloppet as something unique," said Kihlström in the winner's circle after his fifth victory in the race.

Bred in North America by Atlantic Trot Inc. of Pompano, Florida and Steve Stewart of Paris, Kentucky, Allegiant is sired by Tactical Landing out of the Yankee Glide mare Too Good For You. After earning more than $1.3 million and being named the 2024 U.S. Three-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year while trained by Vernon Beachy and Linda Toscano and owned by Ryan Smith of Dennison, Ohio, she was sold for more than $1.3 million to her current Swedish connections, Tobias Persson's Eagle Rising Ab of Bjarred.

In Sweden, she won the Four-Year-Old Elite Race for mares during last year's Elitloppet weekend. She also won the Diana Zets Lopp and Folke Hjalmarssons Minneslopp.

Allegiant became the 12th mare to win the Elitloppet. The last winning mare was also bred in North America, the 1998 champion Moni Maker.

Allegiant advanced to the final after finishing fourth off a pocket trip in the fastest elimination heat won by Go On Boy.

The other elimination winner and 2021 champion Don Fanucci Zet (Paul Philippe Ploquin), also trained by Redén, was out-sprinted from the inside at the start landing behind his speedy stablemate and finished fifth.

"It feels like time stands still," commented Redén after Allegiant's historic victory in front of the packed grandstand. "This weather, this crowd. When Don Fanucci Zet won in 2021, it was a pandemic year and no audience. How I have longed for this."

Idao De Tillard (Clémente Duvaldestin) was the odds-on favourite but his chances were spoiled when he broke stride behind the gate.

The Group 1 stakes event carried a purse of $740,233.

(Standardbred Canada with quotes from Elitloppet)

Former Elitloppet Champions Win Eliminations

Former Elitloppet winners Go On Boy and Don Fanucci Zet won their respective elimination heats for the 2026 renewal of Sweden's most prestigious trotting race ahead of the final to follow later on the last Sunday in May at Solvalla Racecourse in Stockholm, Sweden.

Making his sixth appearance in the race, the 2021 champion and 2025 runner-up Don Fanucci Zet (Paul Philippe Ploquin) led the all the way in the first elimination heat with the mare Diva EK (Alessandro Gocciadoro) first-over and Dream Mine (Mats E Djuse) on her back poised for a three-wide stretch bid that came up just short but landed him the runner-up honours. Diva EK held on for third place with Idao De Tillard (Clémente Duvaldestin) locked in the pocket without racing room and settling for fourth. The winning time was 1:09.4 (a mile rate of 1:51.4) for the favoured Swedish stallion, a 10-year-old son of Hard Livin who is owned by trainer Daniel Redén's Stall Zet.

Defending champion Go On Boy and trainer/driver Romain Derieux closed three-wide off the final turn after racing second-to-last most of the way and won the second elimination in 1:08.7 (a mile rate of 1:50.3). Jobspost (Björn Goop) rallied even wider from the back to take second ahead of first-over challenger Inexess Bleu (Alexandre Abrivard), as race leader Gio Cash (Dexter Dunn) broke stride approaching the wire. The Redén-trained mare Allegiant (Örjan Kihlström), a former Breeders Crown champion in North America, finished fourth from the pocket and will also advance to the final. Go On Boy, a 10-year-old French stallion by Password, is owned by Caroline Logier.

The top four finishers from each elimination heat advance to the final to be contested in race 11, with an approximate post time of 11:45 a.m. (EDT). The winner will receive five million Swedish Krona (approximately $740,000 CAD).

The field for the final is listed below in post position order.

2026 Elitloppet
Post - Horse (Country) - Driver - Trainer
1. Don Fanucci Zet (Sweden) - Paul Philippe Ploquin - Daniel Redén 
2. Go On Boy (France) - Romain Derieux - Romain Derieux
3. Jobspost (Sweden) - Björn Goop - Jörgen Westholm
4. Dream Mine (Sweden) - Mats E Djuse - Jörgen Westholm
5. Inexess Bleu (France) - Alexandre Abrivard - Laurent Claude Abrivard
6. Diva EK (Italy) - Alessandro Gocciadoro - Alessandro Gocciadoro
7. Allegiant (Sweden) - Örjan Kihlström - Daniel Redén
8. Idao De Tillard (France) - Clémente Duvaldestin - Thierry Duvaldestin

(Standardbred Canada)