The 2026 edition of the Elitlopp will take place on Sunday at Solvalla Racecourse in Sweden, and a driver and a horse that should be very familiar to bettors and fans in North America will be among the participants. The driver in question is multiple-time Dan Patch Award winner Dexter Dunn, who is scheduled to pilot Gio Cash from post one in the second elimination, which is Race 7 of 14 on the program. Trained by Daniel Wäjersten, Gio Cash was third in the Group 1 Finlandia-Ajo most recently, and the 7-year-old son of Victor Gio It was a boxed-in fourth as the favorite in last year's MGM Yonkers International Trot with Wäjersten driving. "Steve Stewart called me originally. The owners got in touch with him to get ahold of me, and they said they'd like me to go drive him," remarked Dunn on how the trip came together. "It was a great phone call to get, and I'm excited to get over there." While Dunn caught a bit of a break in the North American stakes schedule since it is not loaded with races this weekend, he will miss out on the Somebeachsomewhere Stakes and the first leg of the Graduate Series at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday night. Regardless, he said that he couldn't pass on the chance to go back to the Elitlopp, where he made the final in 2023 with Stoletheshow. "You don't want to miss good horses here, but at the same time the Elitlopp is the Elitlopp. You can't turn down opportunities like that," he said. "I'm told that the connections are pretty happy with the horse, so hopefully we can put a good show on and we'll have a good time. It's a great experience." Dunn's docket includes six drives on Saturday and three others on Sunday, including Crown in the Group 2 Sweden Cup on Saturday and Mimosa To Martini in the Group 2 Delicious race on Sunday. Gio Cash's competition in his elimination includes a horse we saw have a great deal of success here in 2024 - that being Dan Patch Award recipient Allegiant. Trained by Daniel Redén, the now 5-year-old daughter of Tactical Landing won both of her prep races and will be driven by Ôrjan Kihlström from post two. "She has done exactly what I've wanted this year and won her races without overexerting herself. I put her through a tough workout last Monday, and she felt incredibly good then. I couldn't be more satisfied with her going into this," Redén wrote on his Stall Zet website. "She also had a good workout today [May 25], and it felt like this session really hit the mark. The draw turned out well, and I believe in my horse. As for shoeing and headgear, I'll have to think it over during the week, and it will be updated closer to the weekend." Other horses set to line up in that elimination include a pair of French invaders in defending champion Go On Boy from post five for trainer/driver Romain Derieux and Inexess Bleu from post seven for driver Alexandre Abrivard and trainer Laurent-Claude Abrivard. Inexess Bleu, while untested at the mile distance, won his last two preps in France in Group 2 races. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Speaking of France, the favorite in the betting market overall is two-time Prix d'Amerique champion Idao De Tillard (+220), who has post five for driver Clement Duvaldestin and trainer Thierry Duvaldestin in the first elimination (Race 6). Back healthy after he missed the winter meet at Vincennes and a chance to go for his third straight Prix d'Amerique crown, Idao De Tillard will look for better luck than when he tried the Elitlopp in 2024 but broke in his elimination and didn't make the final. Elsewhere in that first elimination, Diva Ek, a fast-closing second in the 2025 MGM Yonkers International Trot and this year's Finlandia-Ajo champion, has post two for trainer/driver Alessandro Gocciadoro. Don Fanucci Zet, the 2021 Elitlopp champion and an elimination winner a year ago, got post four for Redén and driver Paul-Philippe Ploqun. Defending Swedish Horse of the Year Dream Mine will depart from post six for driver Mats E. Djuse and trainer Jörgen Westholm. "He has looked very good in his two starts this year," wrote Redén of Don Fanucci Zet. "Unfortunately, he had to be scratched ahead of a planned start because the track surface didn't suit him, but I gave him a workout on the track last Monday and was pleased with him. He also felt very good today [May 25] when he was allowed to really stretch out. He went straighter than usual, and I was very satisfied. He'll race barefoot all around in the elimination, and, as usual, with a closed bridle." Post time for the card on Sunday at Solvalla is 1 p.m. local or 7 a.m. (EDT), and the first Elitlopp elimination is at 3:35 p.m. local / 9:35 a.m. (EDT), while the second is at 4:02 p.m. local / 10:02 a.m. EDT. The top four finishers from each heat will advance to the same-day final at 5:45 p.m. local / 11:45 a.m. EDT. In addition to the Elitlopp, Sunday's May 31 program also includes a pair of Group 1 races for 3-year-old trotters of both sexes, a Group 2 under saddle event, the earlier-mentioned Delicious race for 4-year-old mare trotters and the Tommy Hannés race, a Group 2 for 4-year-old male trotters that contains the likes of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion Fashion Green and Kentucky Championship Series runner-up Mountcastle. Click to watch the races from Solvalla live (15-min delay) Elimination #1 Post - Horse (Country) - Driver - Trainer 1. Luke The Spook (Sweden) - Adrian Kolgjini - Adrian Kolgjini 2. Diva EK (Italy) - Alessandro Gocciadoro - Alessandro Gocciadoro 3. Charron (Norway) - Magnus Teien Gundersen - Geir Vegard Gundersen 4. Don Fanucci Zet (Sweden) - Paul Philippe Ploquin - Daniel Redén 5. Idao De Tillard (France) - Clement Duvaldestin - Thierry Duvaldestin 6. Dream Mine (Sweden) - Mats E. Djuse - Jörgen Westholm 7. Keep Going (France) - Mathieu Mottier - Mathieu Mottier 8. Borups Victory (Sweden) - Daniel Wäjersten - Daniel Wäjersten Elimination #2 Post - Horse (Country) - Driver - Trainer 1. Gio Cash (The Netherlands) - Dexter Dunn - Daniel Wäjersten 2. Allegiant (Sweden) - Örjan Kihlström - Danel Redén 3. Jabalpur (Italy) - Gabriele Gelormini - Alain Chavatte 4. Fine Manners (Finland) - Magnus A Djuse - Mattias Djuse 5. Go On Boy (France) - Romain Derieux - Romain Derieux 6. A Fair Day (Sweden) - Oscar Ginman - Elisabeth Almheden 7. Inexess Bleu (France) - Alexandre Abrivard - Laurent Claude Abrivard 8. Jobspost (Sweden) - Björn Goop - Jörgen Westholm -John Rallis contributed to this preview-