Nordic Catcher S sets stakes record to win Hambletonian

Åke Svanstedt won for the third time in the $1 million Hambletonian Stakes, capturing the 100th edition of America’s trotting classic for 3-year-olds with Nordic Catcher S setting a stakes-record of 1:50.0 for the mile Saturday at Meadowlands.

Super Chapter finished second, one length behind the winner, followed by 3-2 favorite Maryland in third. The previous stakes record of 1:50.1 was set by colt Muscle Hill in 2009 and equaled by filly Ramona Hill in 2020.

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Svanstedt, the trainer and driver of Nordic Catcher S, had won the Hambletonian with Perfect Spirit in 2017 and Captain Corey in 2021. He trained and drove both those horses, too. He became the sixth trainer in history who also drove at least three winners.

“It’s a great win for it to be historical in the 100th Hambletonian,” Svanstedt said. “(Nordic Catcher S) has raced better and better each race, and his form was absolutely on top today. Everything was perfect.”

Go Dog Go, leaving from post 10 with driver Todd McCarthy, went to the front and reached the opening quarter in 26.1 seconds with Super Chapter and Yannick Gingras in second and Nordic Catcher S in third.

Nordic Catcher S still was third in the 10-horse field at the race’s 54.2-second midpoint, but Svanstedt already was on the move with the colt in a bid to overtake Go Dog Go. Nordic Catcher S was a first-over second as Go Dog Go hit three-quarters of a mile at 1:22.4, but he had a nose in front at the top of the stretch.

Super Chapter found room to angle to the outside from the pocket nearing mid-stretch but was unable to catch Nordic Catcher S, who was racing without shoes for the first time as they both came home in 27.0 seconds.

It was the third win in five starts this season for Nordic Catcher S, who won his Hambletonian elimination last Saturday night with a time of 1:50.3.

“I’m impressed with him,” said Svanstedt, a Hall of Famer in his native Sweden who has been based in the U.S. since 2014. “He’s tough and fast. He’s big also, so I think he could be special when he gets older and stronger.”

Nordic Catcher S is owned by Åke Svanstedt Inc. and Little E, which is the racing name for Meadowlands chairman and CEO Jeff Gural. It was Gural’s first win in the Hambletonian. Last year he won the Hambletonian Oaks, the $500,000 filly companion race to the Hambletonian with Svanstedt-trained and driven Warrawee Michelle.

“Truthfully I’ve been waiting to give this trophy to myself,” Gural said with a laugh during the winner’s circle celebration. “There is nobody I’d rather be partners with than Åke and (his wife) Sarah. They’ve done an amazing job. I give Åke and Sarah all the credit.”

Nordic Catcher S, bred by Nordic Horse Farm AB and Joie De Vie Farm, is a son of trotting stallion Six Pack out of pacing mare That Woman Hanover.

“It was a freak,” Gural said. “We all looked at a Six Pack bred to a pacing mare and it being such a good horse. It’s a real thrill.”

For his career, Nordic Catcher S has won 5 of 10 races and earned $813,285.

Runner-up Super Chapter and third-place Maryland are trained by Marcus Melander, who had four horses in the final. It was the third time in seven years he finished second and third in a Hambletonian.

Sent off as the 9-2 third choice, Nordic Catcher S paid $11.20 to win.