Meadowlands: Your So Vain navigates bulky field in Hambletonian Maturity

They’re going to start calling Ake Svanstedt Mr. Saturday Night pretty soon. Last Saturday he guided Sebastian K to a world record mile and this weekend he ushered home Your So Vain to an upset victory in the inaugural $484,850 Hambletonian Maturity at the Meadowlands.

The one and one-eighth mile event saw horses sprint down the straightaway with Your So Vain getting away slowly from his rail position. When the field swung into the backstretch Svanstedt deftly sent his horse three wide and made a huge move to supplant Spider Blue Chip from the lead after fractions of :25 4/5 and :55 had been set.

Once on the lead it was clear sailing for Your So Vain and Svanstedt as the trainer-driver opened ground on the field through fractions of 1:23 2/5 and a mile clocked in 1:51 3/5 completing the mile and an eighth distance in 2:05 3/5.

Much like the success of Sebastian K winning off a layoff, Your So Vain was making his first competitive start since November of last year. It was also the first time he’d raced for Svanstedt.

“He’s a really good training horse,” said Bernie Noren, assistant trainer to Svanstedt.

“He doesn’t leave so good,” said Svanstedt about the early stages of the race.

But Your So Vain more than made up for his lack of early speed winning in convincing fashion as a 7-1 shot in the field of 14.

Bee A Magician, last year’s Horse of the Year, came from well back to finish second overtaking Flanagan Memory late.

Your So Vain, a four-year-old by Donato Hanover, was purchased in April by Reima Kuisla Stable of Finland.

[DRF HARNESS: Follow us on Twitter for the latest harness news!]