Ake Svanstedt won his third Hambletonian Stakes on Saturday, Aug. 2, capturing the 100th edition of America’s Trotting Classic for three-year-olds with Nordic Catcher S in a stakes-record 1:50 at The Meadowlands.
Super Chapter finished second, one length behind the winner, followed by 3-2 favourite Maryland in third. The previous stakes record of 1:50.1 was set by colt Muscle Hill in 2009 and equalled by filly Ramona Hill in 2020.
Svanstedt, the trainer as well as driver of Nordic Catcher S, won the Hambletonian previously with Perfect Spirit in 2017 and Captain Corey in 2021. He trained and drove both those horses as well. He became the sixth trainer in history to also drive at least three winners.
“It’s a great win, for it to be historical, in the 100th Hambletonian,” said Svanstedt after the $1,388,889 Grade 1 stakes event. “[Nordic Catcher S] has raced better and better each race, and his form was absolutely on top today. Everything was perfect.”
Go Dog Go, leaving from post 10 with driver Todd McCarthy, went to the front and reached the opening quarter in :26.1, with Super Chapter and Yannick Gingras in second and Nordic Catcher S third.
Nordic Catcher S still was third in the 10-horse field at the race’s :54.2 mid-point, but Svanstedt was already on the move with the colt in a bid to overtake Go Dog Go. Nordic Catcher S was a first-over second as Go Dog Go hit three-quarters in 1:22.4 but had a nose in front at the top of the stretch.
Super Chapter found room to angle to the outside from the pocket nearing mid-stretch but was unable to catch Nordic Catcher S, who was racing without shoes for the first time, as they both came home in :27.
The win was the third in five starts this season for Nordic Catcher S, who won his Hambletonian elimination last week in 1:50.3.
“I’m impressed with him,” said Svanstedt, a Hall of Famer in his native Sweden who has been based in the United States since 2014. “He’s tough and fast. He’s big also, so I think he could be special when he gets older and stronger.”
Nordic Catcher S is owned by Ake Svanstedt Inc. and Meadowlands Chairman and CEO Jeff Gural's Little E LLC. It was Gural’s first win in the Hambletonian. Last year, he won the Hambletonian Oaks, the filly companion race to the Hambletonian, with Svanstedt-trained and driven Warrawee Michelle.
“Truthfully, I’ve been waiting to give this trophy to myself,” Gural said with a laugh during the winner’s circle celebration. “There is nobody I’d rather be partners with than Ake and [his wife] Sarah. They’ve done an amazing job. I give Ake and Sarah all the credit.”
Nordic Catcher S, bred by Nordic Horse Farm AB and Joie De Vie Farm, is a son of trotting stallion Six Pack out of the pacing mare That Woman Hanover, sired by the legendary Somebeachsomewhere.
“It was a freak,” said Gural. “We all looked at a Six Pack bred to a pacing mare, and it being such a good horse. It’s a real thrill.”
For his career, Nordic Catcher S has won five of 10 races. The Hambletonian victory pushed his earnings over the million-dollar mark to $1,124,113.
Runner-up Super Chapter and third-place Maryland are both trained by Marcus Melander, who had four horses in the final. It was the third time in seven years that he finished second and third in a Hambletonian.
Sent off as the 9-2 third choice, Nordic Catcher S paid $11.20 to win.
Hambletonian Day Handle Tops $7 Million Again
Total handle on the 16-race Hambletonian Day card on Saturday at The Meadowlands totalled $7,464,087 USD, up slightly over 2024, when $7.427 million was pushed through the windows in North America.
“And after the foreign entities are added to the total, our Hambletonian Day handle figures to be in excess of $8 million [USD] for a fourth straight year,” said Jason Settlemoir, Big M Chief Operating Officer and General Manager.
A crowd of 17,696 jammed into the mile oval as on-track betting totalled $851,826 USD, an increase over last year of 8.2 per cent.
“Great weather and the usual great Hambletonian Day card led to a big day of wagering on-site,” said Settlemoir. “We appreciate our faithful fans, and of course, our horsemen and staff for putting on another great show.”
There was slight increase as well on for wagering on the Hambletonian itself, as $1,172,046 USD was wagered on the 100th edition of America’s Trotting Classic, an uptick of five per cent over 2024.
Brett Beckwith and Jeff Cullipher walked away with top driver and trainer honours, respectively, at the Winter-Spring-Championship Meet that drew to a close after the last race on Hambletonian Day.
Beckwith, 22, became the youngest driver ever to top the Big M driver colony. His 92 wins were far ahead of runner-up Dave Miller, who guided 68 horses to victory lane. Previously, the youngest driver to walk away with a title was a 24-year-old John Campbell, who wore the belt in 1979.
Cullipher’s total of 41 wins were four more than second-place finisher Ron Burke.
In a departure of what usually takes place after Hambo Day, racing will continue at The Big M on a Friday-Saturday basis through Sept. 13. Post time will be the normal 6:20 p.m. There will be two exceptions. Due to pre-season football at MetLife Stadium, there will be no live action on Saturday, Aug. 16 and Friday, Aug. 22.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)