Nordic Catcher S did not look like a horse who was coming off a 345-day layoff, as the 2025 Hambletonian winner, who had not raced since that million-dollar day, was ready for the featured $38,782 fast-class handicap trot at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Tuesday, July 13, winning in 1:51. 

The time was only two-fifths of a second off the 2013 track and world record of Uncle Peter for four-year-old trotting stallions on a five-eighths-mile track.

The key to the race was the first turn, when driver/trainer Åke Svanstedt could get enough gate jet out of the son of Six Pack-That Woman Hanover and could clear to the lead early, looping favoured Dame Good Time (Ridge Warren), who had equalled the aged gelding world record 1:50.2 here two starts ago. Dame Good Time had little choice but to press on towards the top, going on past the fast :26.1 quarter to get command in front of the stands.  

Dame Good Time was able to get a breather to a :55.4 half before accelerating with the wind to a 1:22.4 three-quarters. Nordic Catcher S was able to draft along in the pocket for a half-mile, and when Svanstedt moved him out head stretch, he lived up to his name and caught Dame Good Time, who fought hard, by a length. Asteroid (Colin Kelly) finished 6-1/2 lengths behind in third.

Nordic Catcher S, now 6-4-1 in 11 starts with $1,143,479 lifetime, is owned by Åke Svanstedt Inc. of Wrightstown, New Jersey and Little E LLC of New York City, New York. 

His return follows recovery from a suspensory tear that ended his 2025 campaign following the 1:50 stakes record performance in the historic 100th edition of the Hambletonian at The Meadowlands.

The win payout on the 6-5 second choice was $4.60.

In the $29,577 sub-feature, Gap Kronos S achieved an unusual feat: he has trotted his career fastest mile of 1:51.4 at two, three and now four. Driver/trainer Svanstedt, winning the top two races of the day, had Gap Kronos S taking the lead from favoured Southwind Coors (Tyler Buter) past the quarter, kept on rolling throughout the mile, then under active encouragement held off that rival by a head. The four-year-old son of Face Time Bourbon-Im Really Special, fourth in the Hambo last year and getting his first win of the season after a pair of Graduate Series outings last month, is owned by Bruni Racing Team Inc. and Part Of Dream Inc. of Delray Beach, Florida and Magnifico LLC of Hustonville, Kentucky.

In the $26,056 third-level fast-class trotting feature, the four-year-old Archangel-French Doll gelding Pierre In Paris enjoyed a drop in company and took a new mark of 1:52.2 in winning for the Pocono leaders, driver Tyler Buter and trainer Ron Burke. Pierre In Paris tucked third early, then made his move on the far turn and trotted past pacesetter Lefties Righties (George Napolitano Jr.), with the favourite winning by a length for Zippett Racing Stable of Briarcliff Manor, New York, Joseph Di Scala Jr. of Somers, New York and Yannick Gingras of Allentown, New Jersey.

George Napolitano Jr. guided home four winners on the 14-race card, Tyler Buter had three and Åke Svanstedt the two feature horses. Svanstedt, Lou Pena and Jill Wine all had training doubles.

An eventful race week at Pocono comes to a close with a 1 p.m. card on Tuesday, which will feature four divisions of the Pennsylvania All-Stars event for two-year-old trotting fillies. 

(With files from PHHA/Pocono)