Twelve of the sport’s top older trotters lined up behind the gate for this year’s $303,050 John Cashman Memorial, and Resolve turned in a ferocious performance to win the 1-1/8 mile event for trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt.
Resolve blasted off the wings of the gate and cut the opening quarter in :26.3 before briefly releasing Crazy Wow to the top. Svanstedt came right back out with Resolve to re-take command of the fractions, and once they cleared they steamrolled through panels of :55.1, 1:22.3 and 1:50.1 before drawing away to win in 2:04.2 over race favourite Marion Marauder and Lookslikeachpndale.
“[Marion Marauder] was the horse to beat before the race,” said Svanstadt. “But Resolve was good enough.”
Asked if Resolve was as good as world champion Sebastian K, “Not yet, It’s hard to beat [1]:49,” he said.
Hans Enggren of Abbottstown, PA owns the six-year-old son of Muscle Hill-Anikawiesahalee. The win bettered his 2017 record to 3-2-1 from eight trips postward, and the $151,525 he earned for the win boosted his lifetime earnings to $2,672,888.
Stay tuned with all the happenings on Hambletonian Day with updates posted in the 2017 Hambletonian Day News Centre.