On Sunday morning (Aug. 2), Knutsson Trotting announced that Sebastian K has passed away suddenly at the age of 14.
He arrived in Melbourne, Australia, on Tuesday morning (July 28) to stand stud and he had seemingly taken the flight from the United States well. The next few days, he ate and drank as normal, but on Saturday (Aug. 1), he developed colic. While every effort was made at the Mickleham Quarantine and Veterinary Centre to save his life, the attending physicians were unsuccessful in their endeavours. Given the time elapsed since the flight, it is unlikely the colic was caused by air travel, but the exact cause of the colic will most likely never be known.
Sebastian K won numerous Group I and Group II races around the world, but he will most probably be best remembered for his ‘command performance’ at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in July 2014, when he shattered the existing all-age world record in a blistering 1:49. It is still the fastest mile ever recorded by a trotter on a five-eighths-mile track.
He was voted Horse of the Year in Sweden in 2012 and won Dan Patch Trotter of the Year in 2014. Sebastian K was bred and owned throughout his career by Knutsson Trotting, who also bred his dam Gabriella K.
Upon retiring from racing in 2015, he stood at Hanover Shoe Farms for four years before relocating to Abby Stables in Ohio for the 2020 North American breeding season. From his first North American crop, the filly Next Level Stuff (out of Nantab) will compete in the Hambletonian Oaks from post 2 on Aug. 8 at The Meadowlands.
Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of Sebastian K.
(Knutsson Trotting)