Örjan Kihlström will hope the third time’s the charm when he drives Sweden’s Hail Mary in Saturday’s $1 million USD MGM Yonkers International Trot, but with a challenging starting spot, he readily admitted it might require a bit of good fortune.
Kihlström, who is making his third appearance as a driver in the International Trot, and Hail Mary will leave from post seven in the 10-horse field, which will go the distance of 1-1/4 miles on MGM Yonkers Raceway’s half-mile oval. Hail Mary, an eight-year-old stallion who was Sweden’s Horse of the Year in 2020, is the third choice on the morning line at 9-2.
In the seven editions of the International Trot since its renewal in 2015, the best finish by a horse starting from post seven has been fifth (twice). All seven winners in the invitational event have started from no farther out than post six.
“The draw was no good for us, obviously, but you can do nothing about that,” said Kihlström, who is a member of Sweden’s Trotting Hall of Fame. “We’ll try to do our best with it, but it’s tough. The horses in this race are all good, so we’ll need some luck. But it’s the same for all the horses with a bad post. I just hope the horse has managed the travel well so he can perform as good as he can.”
Kihlström has finished fourth in both his previous International Trot appearances despite tricky draws each time. In 2015, he started from post 10 in the second tier with Oasis Bi and in 2016 he left from post eight with On Track Piraten.
Hail Mary, a son of Googoo Gaagaa-Dreams, heads to the race with 26 wins in 52 career races and $1.76 million USD in purses. He has won multiple Group 1 races overseas, including last year’s Hugo Abergs Memorial. This year, the Daniel Redén-trained stallion has hit the board five times in nine starts, winning twice. His victories include the Group 2 Jamtlands Stora Pris, which he also captured in 2023.
“I think he’s been racing better than it looks,” Kihlström said about Hail Mary’s current campaign. “He had some bad luck in many of the races. Maybe he hasn’t been really as good as last year, but I think he’s had some quite good races. He’s a good all-around horse. Even though we have a bad post, I think he can do a good race.”
Kihlström has won many of the biggest harness races in the world, including four Elitloppet, a Prix d’Amerique and a Breeders Crown (with Commander Crowe in the 2014 Open Trot at The Meadowlands). In 1990, he appeared in the International Trot as a trainer, sending out Mr Lucken, who finished fifth.
Known as the “Iceman” for his cool demeaner in the sulky, Kihlström followed in family footsteps getting into harness racing. He grew up just a half-mile from Solvalla Racetrack, site of Sweden’s Elitloppet, which is one reason his first win in the famed race there with From Above in 2003 ranks as one of his greatest moments.
“I’ve been watching the Elitloppet ever since I could start walking,” Kihlström said in 2022. “I’ve seen all the great horses and drivers and trainers who came to the Elitloppet and won it. To be one of them myself was just fantastic. It was a horse I’d been driving all the way up, so it couldn’t be any bigger than that at that moment.”
On Saturday, with a little luck, he could add the International Trot to his résumé.
“I hope so,” he said.
Following the International Trot, Hail Mary will remain in the U.S. and head to the stable of trainer Åke Svanstedt, owner Mehdi Yazdanpanh (racing under the Stall Mary AB banner) announced recently on social media.
The MGM Yonkers International Trot is race five on the 11-race program and has an estimated post of 2 p.m. (EDT). Jiggy Jog S, a five-year-old mare, is the 5-2 morning line favourite. The full field, with country represented plus listed driver, trainer and morning line, is listed below.
$1 million USD MGM Yonkers International Trot
Post - Horse (Country) - Driver - Trainer - Morning Line Odds
1. Eclat De Gloire (France) - Loris Garcia - Loris Garcia - 20-1
2. Ideal San Leandro (France) - Bjorn Goop - Richard Westerink - 20-1
3. Castor The Star (Sweden) - Mats Djuse - Jorgen Westholm - 10-1
4. Jiggy Jog S (Sweden) Dexter Dunn - Ake Svanstedt - 5-2
5. Logan Park (Canada) - Doug McNair - Rob Fellows - 6-1
6. Its Academic (USA) - David Miller - Ron Burke - 8-1
7. Hail Mary (Sweden) - Orjan Kihlstrom - Daniel Reden - 9-2
8. Vernissage Grif (Italy) - Alessandro Gocciadoro - Alessandro Gocciadoro - 7-2
9.] Get A Wish (Denmark) - Johan Untersteiner - Johan Untersteiner - 15-1
10.] Periculum (USA) - Scott Zeron - Marcus Melander - 5-1
(USTA)