The Daniel Wäjersten trainee posted a 1:54.4 world record for 1.3 miles while winning the Breeders Crown for 3-year-old colt trotters.

by Thomas Hedlund

Sundbyholm racetrack played host to four divisions of $320,000 Breeders Crown in Sweden on Saturday (Nov. 16) afternoon and the 3-year-old colts and geldings showed up early on the card.

Daniel Wäjersten was the most successful trainer when the eliminations were held two weeks earlier and in Sundbyholm’s first Breeders Crown final he sat behind the favorite, Kriteriet winner Bullet The Bluesky (Readly Express). Bullet The Bluesky could not take the front position when Johan Untersteiner stepped on the pedal immediately as the car left the field and Untersteiner’s drive Far Wise As would hit the lead in a quick opening. The opening left its mark on the leader who got fired up and Far Wise As reached the first kilometer in a mile rate of 1:54, which often is too fast for a 3-year-old in Swedish conditions in November.

And it turned out to be too much for the leader. Wäjersten had to settle in first over with his Bullet The Bluesky, but the driver played it cool and never got tricked by the leader’s high pace, and kept his horse calm and motivated in his not so satisfying position.

This Breeders Crown final became nothing more than a one-horse show. Bullet The Bluesky left the opponents at the top of the stretch and he held strong finisher Coin Boy L.A. in safe distance winning in a very strong mile rate of 1:54.4 over 1.3 miles. A world record performance!

Replay here.

Currency Artist finished third after a ground saving trip as third on the inside.

FIRST OVER BEST POSITION IN 4YO MARE FINAL

The 4-year-old mares battled next and their final was nothing like that of the 3-year-old boys, at least not in terms of speed. Paul Hagoort-trained Ester Degli Dei opened quickly for the lead and for once this season, favorite Daim Brodda (Readly Express) had to race outside of the leader. Daim Brodda is usually hard to snatch the front position from, but this time, Norwegian driver Eirik Höitomt had to let Daim Brodda do the hard work. And the slow pace in front was certainly a positive factor for the season’s dominating 4-year-old mare. The leader had obviously plenty of gas to use during the race’s last kilometer, but the pace began to increase dramatically with a half mile to go and as it turned out, Daim Brodda managed to disarm the leader in the stretch.

Thor Borg trains the Swedish-bred winner, who hit the wire in a moderate mile rate of 1:57.1. Daim Brodda has developed to be the queen of the crop after winning two of the most prestigious events of the year: the Derbystoet and Breeders Crown.

Replayhere.

Ester Degli Dei was beaten by a neck as runner up and Elegance Kronos finished third after a smart drive, signed by Björn Goop.

NEW STAR IS BORN IN 3YO FILLY FINAL

Daniel Redén knows how to have horses in the best shape when the Breeders Crown finals are held. It’s more or less a tradition that Redén collects one or maybe two or three wins in the last big stakes event in Sweden and Saturday’s edition included a nice victory for 3-year-old filly La Yuca (Face Time Bourbon). La Yuca took the big step towards the best fillies in the crop with that victory and the winning formula was a perfect pocket trip, perfect racing room, and perfect drive by Magnus A Djuse.

La Yuca opened quickly from post 3, but couldn’t pass by the favorite S.G.Empress, so Djuse opted for a trip behind the leader before an outside move. Some luck was involved before La Yuca flew by new leader Screen Time Limit shortly before the wire. In the last turn, a break by Elegance Silvio opened up some necessary racing room for the Face Time Bourbon filly. But luck is not all you need when winning. La Yuca showed extremely great speed and the victory in a mile rate of 1:57.3 over 1.3 miles, was well deserved.

Replayhere.

Runner up Screen Time Limit gets the highest grades after a brave first over performance, while leader S.G.Empress held to third place.

ECLIPSE AS TOPS 4YO MALES

With a kilometer to go in the 4-year-old colts and geldings division of the Breeders Crown, the winner sat fourth on the inside, with basically all the favorites in front of him. But racing is unpredictable, especially over 1.3 miles in November, after a long season for most of the contenders and in this case, fourth on the inside ended with victory.

Heavy favorite Epic Kronos did not have his best day and he disappeared and went off-stride with some half-mile to go. At that point, Örjan Kihlström had tried to put some pressure on leader Bicc’s Tobee, but it ended with a break, which opened the race up for upsets, or the second choice, leader Bicc’s Tobee.

Positions were changed during pretty much the entire race and Ulf Ohlsson must have been pleased with the fact that his fourth inside position all of a sudden, at the last back stretch, was exchanged for a trip behind the leader. And when racing room appeared at mid-stretch, his drive Eclipse As (Nuncio) exploded and comfortably passed by the leader. It was a winning time 1:54.1 for Eclipse As, who started his career in Reijo Liljendahl’s barn. Reijo is now living his harness racing life in America and his Eclipse As was moved to Ville Karhulahti, a trainer who took over the position as second trainer at Stig H Johansson’s stable. That position was occupied by Liljendahl for decades before Liljendahl went on his own as a trainer in 2012.

Replay here.

Bicc’s Tobee held to the silver medal and Holcombe Zet did great work to be third.