Meadowlands: Six Pack wraps up racing career with TVG Open Trot tally

Six Pack and driver-trainer Ake Svanstedt enjoyed the best trip in the $350,000 TVG Open for trotters on Saturday night at the Meadowlands and drove past 7-5 favorite Manchego near the wire to close out his career a winner in track record time of 1:50.

The TVG had but seven horses entered, but that didn't stop it from becoming perhaps the most contentious trotting race held at the Meadowlands this season. Guardian Angel AS and Lindy The Great joined Manchego leaving from the outer flank of the starting gate with Tim Tetrick energizing Guardian Angel As and clearing to the front in short order. That left Six Pack along the inside, with Manchego two-wide and a three-wide Lindy The Great doing significant battle as the field hit the quarter in 26 3/5. Lindy The Great relented and dropped back on the outside while Manchego, with Dexter Dunn, briefly had a wheel inside of Six Pack and lost some momentum.

Guardian Angel AS kept a decent clip, and that forced Manchego to work extra hard to clear the lead on the backstretch. Manchego, the lone mare in the field, hit the half in 53 4/5, and Dunn did his best to rate the third quarter at 1:22 4/5, but Tetrick wasted little time vacating the pocket on the final turn, and Svanstedt and Six Pack followed that cover and set up nicely for the stretch drive.

Six Pack drove wide in the stretch, and Svanstedt got the most out of the world champion, circling both leaders in the shadow of the wire. Manchego raced right to the wire and bravely held Guardian Angel AS at bay late for the place spot, with Gimpanzee, the lone 3-year-old in the group, along for fourth.

Six Pack won for just the fourth time in 12 starts this year and returned $5 as the second choice. Svanstedt co-owns Six Pack along with Jeff Gural's Little E LLC, Knutssontrotting, Stall Kalmar, and Lars Berg. A $30,000 yearling purchase, Six Pack's career earnings were pushed over $1.9 million with the win.

"It was a perfect trip for him with a fast first quarter and a fast half," said Svanstedt.

"Pure luck," said Gural about his association with Six Pack. "Ake picks the horses and looks for partners. I generally look for the cheaper ones."