By Ken Weingartner, USTA Media Relations Manager
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Six Pack and Wolfgang won Saturday’s
$181,000 divisions of the Stanley Dancer Memorial for 3-year-old male trotters
at the Meadowlands, stamping themselves as top contenders for the $1.2 million
Hambletonian on Aug. 4.
Six Pack, the No. 2-ranked horse in Meadowlands'
announcer/analyst Ken Warkentin’s Road to the Hambletonian, won his division in
a world-record 1:50. The time eclipsed the previous mark for a 3-year-old of
1:50.1, which was shared by Donato Hanover and Muscle Hill. Six Pack, driven
and trained by Ake Svanstedt, won by 2¼ lengths over You Know You Do. Alarm
Detector was third.
Alarm Detector set the early fractions, leading to an opening
quarter in :26.2 and half in :54.4. Six Pack and Svanstedt were third, but went
on the attack and were alongside Alarm Detector as they came around the final
turn. Six Pack pulled away in the stretch on his way to his fifth win in six
starts this year.
“He’s a tough horse,” said Svanstedt, who won last year’s
Hambletonian with Perfect Spirit. “I had a lot of power when we came into the
stretch. I hope he can be sound and healthy (for the Hambletonian). I’m looking
forward to that.”
Six Pack, a son of Muscle Mass-Pleasing Lady, has won nine of
14 career races and earned $557,840. He is owned by Ake Svanstedt Inc., Little
E LLC, Stall Kalmar FF and Lars Berg.
Sent off at odds of 3-5, Six Pack paid $3.40 to win.
Wolfgang, the No. 1 horse in the Road to the Hambletonian
rankings, won his Dancer division by 2-3/4 lengths over Classichap in a
career-best 1:51.2. Zephyr Kronos finished third.
Driven by Yannick Gingras, the Jimmy Takter-trained Wolfgang
sat behind an early battle for the lead between Evaluate and Hat Trick Habit
before moving to the front on the backstretch. He was unthreatened the rest of
the way.
Wolfgang, a son of My MVP-Summer Savory, has won all three of
his starts this season and earned $200,415. For his career, he has won six of
13 races and $516,690. Wolfgang is owned by Brixton Medical Inc., Goran Falk,
Hatfield Stables and Fair Island Farm Inc.
