Ake Svanstedt has campaigned some of harness racing's top trotters over the past decade, boasting a successful record with horses developed in Europe that can adapt to the North American racing style.
Reports indicate that he's set to train a horse that started on this side of the Atlantic and went onto greater things. That horse is Asteroid.
Asteroid is a five-year-old Pennsylvania-bred son of Creatine. His career began stateside under the tutelage of Kelly O'Donnell and Per Engblom before travelling to Norwegian trainer Frode Hamre for his sophomore season in Europe.
"In consultation with [Ake] and Suleyman, we have decided to send him to the USA," Hamre told Norway's TGN. "He has had a great season and now enters the difficult five-year-old season which is very track dependent. He has gone 1.10.7 (1:53.4 mile rate) and I think he will run fast on a mile course in the USA."
While abroad, Asteroid accumulated SEK 1,758,633 ($224,780.11 CAD) with 13 wins in 25 starts. Of his European starts, Asteroid competed in 13 races in Sweden, winning nine for owner Suleyman Yuksel.
Asteroid's greatest overseas accomplishment was a victory in the Big Noon Cup at Solvalla in 2021. His most recent start featured a second place finish in the Solvalla Grand Prix.