by Ray Cotolo for the Breeders Crown

Trainer Ake Svanstedt again found the winner’s circle in the $600,000 Breeders Crown Open Trot, though not with his 3-5 trainee Alrajah One IT. Svanstedt steered stablemate Southwind Tyrion off a pocket ride to a 1:52.2 victory on Saturday night (Oct. 28) at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.

Logan Park powered for the lead to a :26.2 first quarter with Southwind Tyrion settling into second. Alrajah One IT raced in fifth and found himself forced to tip first over up the backstretch to a :56.2 half. 

The favorite marched forward through the final turn to loom alongside Logan Park, passing three-quarters in 1:25.2, but found himself in troubled waters through the straightaway and began losing ground in the final eighth. When the passing lane opened, Southwind Tyrion darted inside of Logan Park and pulled clear by 1-3/4 lengths to land the spoils over It’s Academic. Rattle My Cage, off at 73-1, finished third and Logan Park held fourth.

“He had a good post and he’s quick behind the gate, so when he got the position he had, I was satisfied,” Sarah Svanstedt said. “We had the same trip last week, but we did some equipment changes on him for this night and obviously it worked out. He’s like a car to drive [and] very nice to manage. When he leaves that helmet, he’s 100 per cent into the work.”

The victory by Southwind Tyrion gave Ake three straight victories in the Open Trot, making him the first trainer to win the event for three straight years as well as the first trainer to win it three times. Svanstedt scored back-to-back victories in the Open Trot from 2021 to 2022 with Denmark import Ecurie D.

Southwind Tyrion also marked the fourth victory of the 2023 Breeders Crown for Ake. The record stands at six victories in one year set in 2015 by Jimmy Takter.

It was Southwind Tyrion’s 12th win from 24 career starts and he has now earned $813,123. The 5-year-old stallion by Muscle Hill—Taylor Jean competes for owners S R F Stable, Ake Svanstedt, Knutsson Trotting, and Brittany Farms & Riverview Racing. Southwind Farms bred the winner, who was 6-1 and returned a $14 mutuel.

Southwind Tyrion was a $145,000 yearling purchase at the 2019 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.