from the USTA Communications Department

Columbus, OH — The 8-year-old Swedish trotter Sebastian K has been nothing short of brilliant in his four starts on North American soil. However, his stunning 1:49 score last Saturday (June 28) at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in the $100,000 Sun Invitational was the most amazing mile of all as it was the fastest clocking ever recorded by a trotter. That performance led to Sebastian K being named Horse of the Month for June by the United States Trotting Association.

It is the second straight month that the son of Korean-Gabriella K has been so honored.

Curtis Salonick photo

Sebastian K crossed the finish line in 1:49 to record the fastest trotting mile in the history of the sport.

Sebastian K is owned by Knutsson Trotting Inc. and is trained and driven by Ake Svanstedt. His two victories in June were worth $75,000 in purses, which lifted his career total to $2.47 million. He is now unbeaten in four North American starts this year, with all of his victories coming in times of 1:50.3 or faster.

The prior all-age world record for trotters was the 1:49.3 posted by Enough Talk in 2008 at Colonial Downs and the five-eighths-mile record was 1:50.2 by Market Share at Harrah’s Philadelphia in May of this year.

In the Sun Invitational over Pocono’s five-eighths-mile oval, Svanstedt hustled Sebastian K off the starting gate from the outside post seven to an unchallenged lead well before the :26.2 first quarter and got a breather to the :55.3 half. He picked up the pace as the field hit the three-quarter pole in 1:21.4. In deep stretch, Svanstedt pulled the ear plugs, tapped his horse five times and shook the lines and Sebastian K was all alone at the wire. The margin of victory was seven lengths. Modern Family was second and Arch Madness was third.

His other June start came in the $50,000 TVG FFA trot on June 20 at The Meadowlands, in which Sebastian K scored another dominating win in 1:50.3.

Svanstedt sent his stable star away fast from post five and he had the front instantly, crossing over and taking up by the quarter in :27.3. Left alone on the lead, Svanstedt rated Sebastian K through a :56 half and 1:24.1 three panels before sprinting again with a :26.2 close to the mile. Archangel drafted along in the pocket and held the place while Market Share tried to advance on the outside from the half to no avail and stayed on for third.

“He’s not normal; he’s a special horse,” Svanstedt told Harness Racing Communications’ Ken Weingartner. “There are not so many horses that can race so good when they are 8 years old.

“The owners brought the horse here because they thought he can do the record,” he added. “Now he has done the record.”