by Karsten Bonsdorf, USTA web newsroom correspondent

In a close race, outsider You Bet Hornline, driven by Robert Bergh, won the Sprintermästaren — called the Hambletonian Stake of Sweden — at Halmstad in southern Sweden on Thursday night, July 8.

The Sprintermästaren is raced in the old Hambletonian format with eliminations and a final on the same day; however, the race is for 4-year-old trotters.

The three eliminations were won by Sebastian K, driven by Lutfi Kolgjini, in 1:55f; Select Yankee, driven by Ake Svanstedt, in 1:54f; and You Bet Hornline, driven by Robert Bergh, in 1:55.f.

Kanal 75 photo

Owner Paula Asterie and You Bet Hornline celebrate after the win.

In the final Sebastian K was made the even money favorite with Select Yankee (sired by Muscles Yankee) as second favorite. You Bet Hornline was at 8-1.

Sebastian K went to the lead and looked like a sure thing with a quarter of a mile to go. However, he tired down the stretch and suddenly the race was wide open.

Select Yankee came up on the outside, but suddenly You Bet Hornline was there after a slalom between horses and from a position at the pylons as six or seventh. You bet Hornline went past Select Yankee to win by a length in a new personal record of 1:54.1f. Select Yankee took second, while Turbo Wiking was third. Sebastian K held on for fifth.

The winner is sired by San Pellegrino, who some years ago was at stud in Canada and should be well known as the sire of top Open class trotter San Pail.

In 2005 San Pellegrino was sold to Sweden, where he stands at the Hornline stud. His stud fee this year was $2,300.

The dam of You Bet Hornline, Evergreen Ri, is a half sister to Grandezza Ri, who is the dam of Iceland, winner of the 2010 Elitlopp.

This was the first time that You Bet Hornline raced against the top Swedish 4-year-old trotters. But Robert Bergh was quite confident before the race.

“You Bet Hornline has no engagements in any other big stake race, so I have prepared him solely for this race,” Bergh said.

After his win in the elimination, his owner, the 27-year-old singer Paula Asterie, declared that if You Bet Hornline would win the final, she would donate a large sum of the win money to the Swedish Cancer Foundation. And she did — 200,000 Swedish kroner — or $34,000 — will be handed over to the Cancer foundation.