by Thomas Hedlund

Swedish harness racing media reported on Thursday (Aug. 29) about the new adventure for Hail Mary. After his participation in the $1,000,000 Yonkers International Trot on Sept. 7, the 8-year-old Googoo Gaagaa son will stay in America and be trained by Åke Svanstedt.

Hail Mary won the $800,000 Derby as a 4-year-old in 2020 and continued by winning the Breeders Crown that same fall. After an unsuccessful season as a 5-year-old, the horse was moved from Robert Bergh to Daniel Redén, where Hail Mary developed into one of the best trotters in Europe.

Hail Mary crosses the Atlantic Ocean with 28 wins in 52 starts, a mile record of 1:50.2 and approximately $1,650,000 in lifetime earnings.

FAME AND GLORY SEEKS FAME AND GLORY

Timo Nurmos’ trained Fame And Glory (Tactical Landing) has all the qualities required to follow up last year’s triumph in the $800,000 Kriteriet with another big victory as the $800,000 Swedish Derby at Jägersro awaits Sunday (Sept.1).

Fame And Glory confirmed his position as the leader of the 2020 Swedish bred crop when he pretty effortlessly jogged to a win in the 2023 Kriteriet; and the start of his sophomore season has been promising. Nurmos’ trotter won his elimination for the Derby on Aug. 20 without needing to show all of his big register. Björn Goop is Fame And Glory’s constant reinsman and there are similarities between Fame And Glory and his older half-brother Calgary Games (winner of the Derby in 2021). The way of making up ground in an energy saving way applies to both of the horses and Sunday will most probably demand a high-class performance by the 4-year-old son of Tactical Landing, because there are opponents that show at least the same qualities as the probable favorite.

Goop, the long-time dominating driver in Sweden, has his best shot ever to win the Derby this year. In 2005 he steered Conny Nobell to his, as yet, only victory in one of the biggest races there are in Sweden, but one must say that the streak of losses in the Derby very well can be broken on Sunday.

A nice and touching story ahead of the Derby is the one about the horse Trogir (Love You). Trogir is trained in Germany, but is bred in Sweden and therefore allowed to race in stakes races, and the connections around Trogir have decided to give away $400,000 if the horse wins on Sunday. The owners of Trogir, Stall Trippel Tom, own the racetrack Mariendorf in Berlin and Trippel Tom is the track’s mascot. Three names behind the mascot stand for all the costs around the horse and all earnings that Trogir collects go to charitable purposes, even so on Sunday.

SchutzengelWerk is one organization that collects charity from Stall Trippel Tom’s race horses. A purposive leisure time for kids is that organization’s main occupation. And besides that project, Stall Trippel Tom also helps young people getting into the sport of harness racing, in terms of sponsoring new racing colors or something similar that will ease the obstacles entering the sport.

Trogir will be cheered on in the Swedish Derby, that’s for sure and the whole story is just what the business sometimes needs.

$800,000 DERBY 2024

2,640 meters

Horse — Sire — Driver

1. Kuiper — Face Time Bourbon — Daniel Wäjersten

2. Epic Kronos — Muscle Hill — Örjan Kihlström

3. Macahan — Maharajah — Carl Johan Jepson

4. Global Etalon — Brillantissime — Magnus A Djuse

5. Fame And Glory — Tactical Landing — Björn Goop

6. Trogir — Love You — Michael Nimczyk

7. Zaxton — Trixton — Santtu Raitala

8. Stens Rubin — Readly Express — Johan Untersteiner

9. Holcombe Zet — Daley Lovin — Erik Adielsson

10. Herakles Zet — Propulsion — Jorma Kontio

11. Kojak Sisu — Muscle Mass — Mats E Djuse

12. Underground Artist — Royalty For Life — Christoffer Eriksson