Pocono: Nordic Catcher S tops big qualifying session for Svanstedt

Hambletonian winner Nordic Catcher S, who hadn't raced since capturing the million-dollar classic last August 2, showed no rust at all from his time away, winning a qualifier by 14 lengths in 1:55 1/5 Wednesday at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.

The four-year-old son of Six Pack-That Woman Hanover crossed over to the rail with the lead despite starting from the outside post in about a dozen steps, and trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt may have made the horse think this was just another legging-up mile when the pair reached the first two poles in 29 4/5 and 59 3/5.

Coming off the second turn, though, the distance between the pace-setter and his opposition started to grow, with the three-quarters reached in 1:28. Svanstedt then shook the horse up a little on the far turn, with the champion trotter responding with a 27 1/5 closing quarter while appearing well within himself - a big first step for Team Svanstedt, with Ake Svanstedt Inc. the owner with Little E LLC.

In the first baby qualifiers of the season, nine events to open a 12-race program, Team Svanstedt came out roaring, winning five of the six trots, including a sweep of the filly events. The fastest mile among the freshmen - filly or colt, trotter or pacer - came from Anu, a daughter of Father Patrick out of Senorita Rita, who was the Goldsmith Maid and Kindergarten winner at two and earned over $400K. Anu is looking to race back to her royal parentage, going in 1:58 4/5 in her first charted line, on the engine with back fractions of 58 3/5 - 29 1/5, with Ake driving for AB Svensk Reklamfinans LLC.

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Ake trains and drove Laurensstrongluck (Muscle Hill-Lucky Ave), a winner in 2:01 4/5, own last quarter 28 4/5. Ake would have driven as well as trained all three filly winners, but wife Sarah won by a nose with Emotica (Walner-Jula Emmylou Me) in 2:04 2/5 over the Ake-driven Eternal Light.

Team Svanstedt's two male winners in the trotting ranks were Easy Down Blonde, a Walner-Hey Blondie colt who finished in 58 1/5 - 28 1/5 to win in a 2:00 2/5 mile, and Hypersonic, a Chapter Seven-Fleur De Hill colt who came home in 29 seconds in a 2:01 3/5 effort.

The horse who stood in the way of a Svanstedt baby sweep was the Captain Corey-Are You Ready colt Celebrity Hunter, who handed Big Time Trot S and the stable their only freshman loss Wednesday with a neck decision in 2:02 1/5, with the winner closing in 58 - 28 2/5 for driver Matt Kakaley and trainer Hunter Oakes.

Kakaley and Oakes also combined on the fastest pacer of the session, the Huntsville-Twin B Fabulous colt Twin B Wildfire, who paced raw in 57 - 28 to complete a 1:59 victory. Todd Schadel trains and drove the other two successful freshmen, both by Papi Rob Hanover: Dragon Flame (dam Dragon Lady Art) to a 2:01 1/5 - 58 - 28 3/5 success in the day's only filly pace, and the gelding Papi Was Right (dam Dabb), who closed in 58 4/5 - 29 1/5 to stop the timer in 2:02 3/5.

The Pocono qualifiers can be viewed at www.phha.org.

--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--