by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Freehold, NJ — Ake Svanstedt says Dante possesses the ability to cover short distances extremely quickly. On Saturday (May 7), the colt used that skill to win the $140,800 Dexter Cup at Freehold Raceway.

Dante was a 1:59.4 winner in the Dexter Cup for trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt.

Starting from post seven, Dante and trainer-driver Svanstedt blazed to the front prior to the first turn and coasted from there, winning the Dexter Cup by 1-3/4 lengths over Cufflink Hanover. Credevie finished third.

The time for the mile was 1:59.4 over a track labeled good. Dante, part of the favored entry with Dominion Beach, paid $4.20 to win.

Dante benefited from several horses — including Dominion Beach — going off stride in the first turn, which enabled Svanstedt and his horse to separate from the field by several lengths.

Dominion Beach rallied from more than a dozen lengths back, going three wide at the halfway point, to get alongside Dante on the backstretch, but was unable to sustain his drive in the stretch. Dominion Beach finished fifth, beaten by 4-1/4 lengths.

Dante and Dominion Beach won their respective Dexter Cup eliminations last weekend.

“He’s very quick and he feels much better this time after his last race,” said Svanstedt, who trains Dante for owner Anders Strom’s Courant A B stable. “He’s in very good shape. (The horses making breaks) made it more easy for us. It was an easy race; not so fast.”

USTA/Ken Weingartner photos

Dante’s connections celebrate in the winner’s circle following his Dexter Cup triumph.

Dante, a son of Credit Winner out of the stakes-winning mare Michelle’s Angel, was purchased as a yearling for $355,000 at the 2014 Lexington Selected Sale. He is a full brother to millionaire Archangel.

Last year, Dante was winless in two races. This year he is 2-for-2.

“He’s a different horse,” Svanstedt said. “He was very nervous last year. He was stressed last year and did not trot so good. He was always pulling. Now he is nice to drive. He’s grown up and is a much better horse.”

The Dexter Cup is the first major stakes event for 3-year-old trotters on the road to August’s $1 million Hambletonian at the Meadowlands Racetrack. Dante is not eligible to the Hambletonian, but is staked to races on the New York circuit as well as the Breeders Crown.

Earlier on the card, Dazzling Dollars won the $58,000 Lady Suffolk Stakes for 3-year-old female trotters by a half-length over Southwind Hope in 2:00. Curikee finished third. Dazzling Dollars went off at 10-1 and paid $22.60 to win.

Favored entry-mates Flowers N Songs and American Gal K both went off stride.

Trond Smedshammer trains and drives Dazzling Dollars for owner Purple Haze Stables. Dazzling Dollars has won two of 10 career races and earned $128,624. The filly, by Cash Hall out of Designed To Dazzle, won a division of the New York Sire Stakes last year and finished second in the NYSS championship.