Representing Canada, two-time O'Brien Award winner Logan Park will compete with the world's top trotters in Sweden's renowned Elitloppet on Sunday, May 25 at Solvalla Racecourse.
The invitational race features 16 trotters divided into two trial heats. The top four finishers in each trial will meet later that day in the final, competing for a purse of five million Swedish Krona (approximately $714,000 CAD).
Following back-to-back O'Brien Award-winning seasons as Canada's Older Male Trotter of the Year, Logan Park has been perfect in three Preferred starts this year at Woodbine Mohawk Park ahead of his trip overseas. Trained by the father and son team of Rob and Kyle Fellows in Rockwood, Ont., the seven-year-old gelding is a multiple Grand Circuit stakes winner with a lifetime mark of 1:49.2, taken in the Allerage Farms Open Trot at The Red Mile last fall to become the fastest Canadian-sired trotter. He boasts 39 career victories and more than $2 million in earnings for owners Outofthepark Stable of Rockwood, Ont., Reg Higgs of Blenheim, Ont., and Arpad Szabo of Bradford, Ont. Reg and Donna Higgs bred the Ontario-sired son of Archangel out of the Muscle Mass mare, Rite Outa The Park.
The only representative from North America among the 16 Elitloppet invitees, Logan Park has drawn post five in the first of two trials as he aims to become just the third Canadian representative to win the world's premier trotting race. He will be driven by his regular reinsman, Doug McNair of Puslinch, Ont.
The last Canadian representative that won the Elitloppet was 33 years ago when Billyjojimbob and Murray Brethour were victorious in 1992. Canada's first winner was more than two decades prior in 1969 when Fresh Yankee and Joe O'Brien achieved international acclaim.
The last time Canada had an invitee in the Elitloppet was in 2022 when Perfetto finished fifth in his trial.
The 2025 trials include three former Elitloppet champions, French trotters Hohneck (2023) and Etonnant (2022) and Sweden's Don Fanucci Zet (2021). Seven different countries are represented in this year's edition.
The fields for the trials are listed below in order of post positions, which were drawn on Sunday, May 18.
Trial 1
Post - Horse (Country) - Driver - Trainer
1. Etonnant (France) - Anthony Barrier - Richard Westerink
2. Francesco Zet (Sweden) - Örjan Kihlström - Daniel Redén
3. Go On Boy (France) - Romain Derieux - Romain Derieux
4. Mellby Jinx (Sweden) - Mats E Djuse - Daniel Wäjersten
5. Logan Park (Canada) - Doug McNair - Robert Fellows
6. A Fair Day (Sweden) - Oscar Ginman - Elisabeth Almheden
7. Charron (Norway) - Magnus Teien Gundersen - Geir Vegard Gundersen
8. Always EK (Italy) - Alessandro Gocciadoro - Alessandro Gocciadoro
Trial 2
Post - Horse (Country) - Driver - Trainer
1. Hohneck (France) - Gabriele Gelormini - Philippe Allaire
2. Hooker Berry (France) - Nicolas Bazire - Franck Leblanc
3. Don Fanucci Zet (Sweden) - Paul Philippe Ploquin - Daniel Redén
4. Mellby Knekt (Sweden) - Magnus A Djuse - Timo Nurmos
5. Hussard Du Landret (France) - Benoît Robin - Benoît Robin
6. Borups Victory (Sweden) - Daniel Wäjersten - Daniel Wäjersten
7. The Locomotive (Australia) - Brad Hewitt - Brad Hewitt
8. Massimo Hoist (Finland) - Hannu Torvinen - Jukka Hakkarainen
(Standardbred Canada; photo of Logan Park winning on May 5)