The 2021 edition of the Elitloppet is coming up on Sunday at Solvalla Racecourse in Sweden. Due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, the event will be run without the traditional amount of fans for the second straight year, but nonetheless, the show will go on, with 16 horses, representing several different countries, electing to compete. The lead-up to the "Elite Race" was not without controversy. The connections of Paralympic Trot winner Delia du Pommereux received an invitation after her victory in that prestigious Group 1 race on May 8, but following a significant fine to driver Eric Raffin for "incorrect use of the whip," owner Noël Lolic announced that he was not interested in competing in the Elitloppet and would not bring Delia du Pommereux back to Sweden. Then, after a race on May 15, trainer-driver Robert Bergh, who has defending Swedish Horse of the Year Hail Mary, received a suspension for an in-race infraction that he has to serve during Elitloppet weekend, taking his horse out of consideration. A few days after that, trainer Jean-Michel Bazire and the connections of Prix du Luxembourg winner Dorgos de Guez also passed on their invitation, with Bazire telling the Paris-Turf publication that the horse's lack of experience at the mile distance, and the penalty to Bergh, were the reasons. While those are significant defections, a strong field will line up for the Elitloppet. The eliminations were drawn last Sunday, and pre-race favorite Vivid Wise AS, trained and driven by Alessandro Gocciadoro, drew post one in the "Green" heat, which will be the first one to go behind the gate. Vivid Wise AS scored two significant wins in prep races in France, taking the Grand Critérium de Vitesse, which is conducted over the same mile distance he'll face Sunday, and the Prix de l'Atlantique. Moni Viking, who will be driven by trainer Björn Goop from post two, is another contender in the first elimination. Moni Viking won last year's Group 1 Åby Stora Pris, and collected victories in the Group 3 Prix de la Marne in France and Group 2 Örebro Intn'l in Sweden in 2021. Representing the United States in the race will be Jerry Riordan-trained Aetos Kronos (post four, Magnus Djuse). Co-owned by Team Snyder AB, which includes Jeff and Mike Snyder of Rocknroll Hanover fame, Aetos Kronos won the Prix Bold Eagle at Vincennes Racecourse in Paris during the winter meet and then was third in the Prix De France and Paralympic Trot. "Top three," said Mike Snyder about what he thinks of Aetos Kronos's chance in the race. "It's going to be a very, very exciting race. I think it's going to be a competitive race, and he's going to do well." Don Fanucci Zet is another horse who has been well-backed in pre-race markets, but the Daniel Reden trainee had the misfortune of drawing post eight in the first elimination. Örjan Kihlström will drive the winner of last year's Group 1 Sprintermästaren in Sweden for 4-year-olds. Another horse hurt by a poor elimination draw was Very Kronos, who will have post eight in the second heat, which is labeled as the "Blue" elimination. Very Kronos, the second-place finisher in the Paralympic Trot, will be driven by Erik Adielsson. A 7-year-old by Ready Cash, Very Kronos was victorious in the 2020 Swedish Championship, a Group 2 race. Ecurie D was the first horse to get an invitation to the Elitloppet after taking the Dartster F's Lopp back on April 7, but the winner of 15 of 19 races lifetime finished last in the Paralympic Trot. He won the 4-year-old Elite Race on the undercard of last year's Elitloppet, and Ulf Ohlsson will drive the Frode Hamre trainee. Cokstile, who was placed the winner of last year's Elitloppet after the results of Propulsion were thrown out, is back to defend his title, and he will start from post one in the second elimination for driver Vincenzo Gallo and trainer Mattia Orlando. Riordan also has a starter in the Blue heat, with Gareth Boko starting from post five for driver Mats Djuse. Gareth Boko picked up his ticket to the Elitloppet after winning the Group 2 HRH Prins Daniels Lopp. The top four finishers from each elimination, which will be races six and seven on the card, will come back for the final in race 12, with elimination winners drawing for post one and two, the second place horses for posts three and four, and so on. The full fields for the eliminations are listed below. Elimination 1- Heat "Green" 1-Vivid Wise As-Alessandro Gocciadoro 2-Moni Viking-Björn Goop 3-Milliondollarrhyme-Fredrik Larsson 4-Aetos Kronos-Magnus Djuse 5-Hickothepooh-Vidar Hop 6-Bahia Quesnot-Junior Guelpa 7-Cyber Lane-Johan Untersteiner 8-Don Fanucci Zet-Örjan Kihlström Elimination 2 - Heat "Blue" 1-Cokstile-Vincenzo Gallo 2-Heavy Sound-Kenneth Haugstad 3-Seismic Wave-Claes Sjöström 4-Gelati Cut-Gabriele Gelormini 5-Gareth Boko-Mats Djuse 6-Ecurie D.-Ulf Ohlsson 7-Click Bait-Per Lennartsson 8-Very Kronos-Erik Adielsson