by Mark McKelvie, WEG Communications
Campbellville, ON — Known for putting up big points with the Vancouver Canucks, Daniel and Henrik Sedin are also quite familiar with scoring on the racetrack. On Saturday evening (Sept. 17) at Mohawk Racetrack, the Sedin twins hope to win Canada’s biggest trotting event, the Maple Leaf Trot, with their superstar horse Nahar.
Throughout their National Hockey League careers, Daniel and Henrik have combined to score more than 500 goals and nearly 2,000 points. Off the ice, the Sedin brothers have watched their trotter Nahar win 39 races and more than $1.8 million.
Hockey and harness racing are big business in Sweden, so it only made sense that when the brothers began playing professional hockey nearly 20 years ago in the Swedish Elite League, they also began their journey into racehorse ownership.
“We got into racing when we started playing for (Modo) back in Sweden,” noted Henrik. “There were a few guys on the team who bought a horse together. They dropped out one after one and we stuck with it.”
The Sedin twins are coming up on their 20th professional hockey season, 15 of those spent with the Vancouver Canucks. Playing in big moments is what it’s all about for any athlete, but racehorse ownership taps into another side of competitiveness and anticipation for the brothers.
“Just the excitement once you see your horse’s name on the start list,” said Henrik. “To read up on it the week before the race and see what other horses are in the race. Then you come up to race day, it’s just exciting.”
The Sedin brothers have enjoyed great success as owners with Nahar. The 11-year-old gelding is trained by top Swedish horseman Robert Bergh and has been at the top of the sport for several seasons.
In 2013, Nahar took Bergh and the Sedin twins to the top of the Swedish trotting game by capturing the nation’s biggest race, the Elitlopp.
“It was amazing,” recalled Henrik. “Just to be in that race is tough enough and then Robert put the horse in terrific shape for that day and I mean as a horse owner, it’s a dream come true.”
Nahar has since continued to race at a high level for the Sedin brothers, who are also currently enjoying success with trotter Ed You and own eight horses in total.
With Daniel and Henrik in Toronto this month for the World Cup of Hockey, Bergh mapped out a schedule to have the brothers’ top trotters in town for the Maple Leaf Trot.
“Robert told us in July that this was his plan,” said Henrik. “He was going to bring over Ed You as well, but he got hurt in August so it changed the plans. It would’ve been nice to have two here and racing, but it was perfect timing.”
The long hockey season doesn’t leave a lot of free time for the brothers, but they often make time to visit the track during the off-season.
“We try as often as we can, but Robert just moved down south in Sweden to a different racetrack,” said Henrik. “He’s further away now, so it’s not as much as before, but we try as much as possible.”
The sports of hockey and harness racing are well known for being family affairs and the Sedin family has everyone on board with the trotters.
“Our whole family is involved,” Henrik said. “We have two more brothers and Mom and Dad are part owners as well. It’s fun just to have family involved and we go to watch races as a family.”
The Sedin twins are hooked and plan to stay involved with harness racing for the foreseeable future.
For now, the brothers are hopeful Nahar can thrill them again Saturday and capture the C$632,000 Maple Leaf Trot to send them into the World Cup of Hockey sporting some gold.
C$632,000 Maple Leaf Trot
HN-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Line
1. Resolve–Ake Svanstedt–Ake Svanstedt-9/5
2. Lookslikeachpndale–Sylvain Filion–Luc Blais-8/1
3. Flanagan Memory–Brian Sears–Rene Dion-4/1
4. Hannelore Hanover–Yannick Gingras–Ron Burke-2/1
5. Il Sogno Dream–Scott Zeron–Chris Beaver-12/1
6. JL Cruze–John Campbell–Eric Ell-15/1
7. Windsun Revenge–Rick Zeron–Jeff Durham-15/1
8. Nahar–Robert Bergh–Robert Bergh-15/1
9. Musical Rhythm–Mario Baillargeon–Ben Baillargeon-20/1
10. Shake It Cerry–David Miller–Jimmy Takter-10/1
AE: Etruscan Hanover–Mario Baillargeon–Ben Baillargeon
- Stars shine in Maple Leaf Trot and Canadian Trotting Classic elims (Sunday, September 11, 2016)
The top trotters in harness racing were on display Saturday evening (Sept. 10) at Mohawk Racetrack for the Canadian Trotting Classic and Maple Leaf Trot eliminations.
- Hannelore Hanover faces big challenge in Maple Leaf Trot (Tuesday, September 13, 2016)
Hannelore Hanover will face the toughest challenge of her career when she meets nine rivals in Saturday’s (Sept. 17) C$632,000 Maple Leaf Trot at Mohawk Racetrack, but with wins in 21 of her last 22 races, the 4-year-old mare has already proven she knows how to ace a test.
- Mohawk stakes finals in Grand Circuit spotlight (Wednesday, September 14, 2016)
Grand Circuit action at Mohawk will be held on Saturday with the C$632,000 Maple Leaf Trot for older trotters, the C$687,000 Canadian Trotting Classic for 3-year-old male trotters, the C$436,000 Elegantimage for 3-year-old filly trotters, the C$350,000 William Wellwood Memorial for 2-year-old male trotters, the C$363,000 Peaceful Way final for 2-year-old filly trotters, and two C$35,000 eliminations in the Milton Stake for older pacing mares.
- C$2.6 million Maple Leaf Trot and Canadian Trotting Classic card set (Wednesday, September 14, 2016)
All eyes will be on harness racing’s finest trotters Saturday evening (Sept. 17) at Mohawk Racetrack for Maple Leaf Trot and Canadian Trotting Classic night. An outstanding card featuring the best trotters of all ages has been assembled with more than C$2.6 million in purse money on the line.
- Burke seeks Wellwood trifecta with What The Hill (Wednesday, September 14, 2016)
Trainer Ron Burke will try to win the William Wellwood Memorial for the third consecutive year, and while this season’s contender What The Hill might not enter Saturday’s race with the same buildup as 2015 champion Southwind Frank, the colt has shown he possesses one extremely coveted talent — the desire to get to the finish line first.
- Ariana G strolls in Peaceful Way (Saturday, September 17, 2016)
Securing the lead after the half-mile, Ariana G advanced towards a 1:54 victory in the C$363,000 Peaceful Way final on Saturday night (Sept.17) at Mohawk Racetrack.
- Resolve victorious in epic Maple Leaf Trot (Saturday, September 17, 2016)
Resolve turned in a game effort to come away with 1:51.4 victory in the C$632,000 Maple Leaf Trot Saturday night (Sept. 17) at Mohawk Racetrack. The 5-year-old stallion was went toe-to-toe with standout mare Hannelore Hanover for the final half-mile and ultimately wore down the powerhouse to score a 1-1/2 victory for Swedish native and trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt.