First, the good news: harness racing's fastest trotter, Sebastian K will race in 2015. The bad news is that he has possibly just one race left in 2014, and it won't be in the Breeders Crown.
The trotting star's owners Tristan Sjöberg and Michael Knutsson made the decision to continue racing next year along with trainer Åke Svanstedt on Thursday.
The decision to race next year was made on Thursday by the trotting stallion's owners Tristan Sjöberg and Michael Knutsson along with trainer Åke Svanstedt.
"It feels great that Sebastian K continues another season," said Svanstedt in a blog post. "The owners like the competition and 'Sebbe' has given everyone a great year with three world records.
"Unfortunately, Sebastian has not really been at his best in the recent starts but like many of the other horses in the stable he has had problems with infections. If everything is well within the next few weeks he will finish his season in the TVG final at The Meadowlands on November 29."
We, Michael and I, have just had a chat and we have decided not to supplement Sebastian K for @Breeders_Crown
— Knutsson Trotting (@KnutssonTrot) October 26, 2014
According to the blog post, Sebastian K will go down to Florida in early December for some vacation time at Palema Trotting Centre in Vero Beach. After the new year he will begin training for next season, which begins in early May.
"I truly hope and believe that Sebastian K. can be as good next year," continued Svanstedt. "The competition looks to be basically the same as this year, in addition to some four-year-olds like Father Patrick and Nuncio."
The 2015 schedule for Sebastian K might not be as intensive as his 2014 season. With 12 starts thus far and another on the horizon in the TVG final, Sjöberg is quoted in a Swedish publication as saying the connections only plan to race Sebastian K around 10 times next year.
For the majority of the 2014 season, Sebastian K was harness racing's top rated horse. His eight wins and two second place finishes from 12 starts have helped him accrue $674,750 in purses and his 1:49 speed badge at Pocono certainly give him a lock on aged trotter honours in the U.S. But he dropped from the top spot in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll for the first time this past week, dropping to No. 3 behind Father Patrick and JK Shesalady. His two starts on Canadian soil preclude him from O'Brien Award consideration.