Solvalla Racecourse in Stockholm, Sweden, is set to host many of the world's top trotters in the 2025 edition of the Elitlopp on Sunday (May 25). The Elitlopp will go in a same-day elimination/final format, with the top four finishers from each elimination in races six and seven moving on to the final in race 11. The Elitlopp eliminations and final are one mile races from behind a starting car.
While 2024 champion Horsy Dream is not entered, the winners of the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Elitlopps are all set to compete. The 2022 champion is Etonnant, who has post one in the opening elimination for driver Anthony Barrier and owner/trainer Richard Westerink. The son of Timoko, the winner of the 2017 Elitlopp, was a regular at the top level across the world, including two appearances in the MGM Yonkers International Trot in 2022 and 2023, but the 11-year-old made just one start in 2024 due to some physical issues that popped up.
"It was all in his muscles. We didn't know what he had. He was sick, but we couldn't find it," Westerink offered. "Now the horse is good. He's in good shape and in great form, so we put him in the race again."
Etonnant's prep races included a second in the Group 1 Grand Critérium de Vitesse de la Côte d'Azur at Cagnes-sur-Mer on March 9 and a fourth in the Group 2 Prix Kerjacques at Vincennes on April 5. He did tire in a sixth-place finish in his last outing in the Group 1 Prix de L'Atlantique on April 19 at Enghien, but Westerink wasn't discouraged by that performance.
"He raced very well in Cagnes-sur-Mer and then in Vincennes. Enghien, he was a little bit tired I think. For some time he was not racing and then he raced three times with not a long time between his races," he noted. "Now he's got five weeks in between races, and I think he will be good. In training he worked very, very, very well, so we will see in the race."
While on paper the pole position is a coveted spot on the five-eighths-mile track, Westerink remarked that it may not be the easiest draw for his horse and that a change in his normal racing style may be needed.
"I think we can win the Elitlopp, but now it's a little bit complicated. There are so many people who want post one in the race, but for Etonnant, behind the gate with post one, it's not so simple I think," he said. "He can make a fast start, but we always take him back because we don't want to take the risk to make a break. I'll talk with Anthony, but I think we must take a little bit more risk. He'll race with the same bridle, otherwise no changes (with his equipment)."
Among the horses that Etonnant will face in his elimination are Francesco Zet, one of the pre-race favorites and the fourth-place finisher from 2024's Elitlopp final, Go On Boy, who was third in the 2023 Elitlopp final for trainer/driver Romain Derieux and then won his elimination last year but broke stride in the final, and multiple Grand Circuit stakes winner Logan Park, who is the lone North American representative with Doug McNair in to drive the Rob Fellows trainee.
"It was a great draw for him," trainer Daniel Redén stated on his Stall Zet website in regards to Francesco Zet, who landed post two for driver Örjan Kihlström. "He had a (hard training) day on Thursday and a medium training today (Monday). He is moving fantastically well and mentally he is in a different place than he was all last year. He is calmer, so now we will see if he is ready to make it to an Elite race. We have told him to take it easy and now he should not take it easy, so there will be a bit of a double signal, but I think we have him where he should be.
"He raced and waited for the competitors last time. He has never liked to run away from the competitors, but he ran a 1.09 (kilometer) time at Rättvik, and it was quite cold outside, so that was good. Now it will be Norwegian headgear and hood as usual. We will run barefoot in the back and then we will run barefoot all around if he makes it to the final."
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In the other elimination, 2023 Elitlopp winner Hohneck, who will be piloted by Gabriele Gelormini for trainer Philippe Allaire and 2021 champion Don Fanucci Zet, another Redén trainee who will be steered by Paul-Philippe Ploquin, are set to meet from posts one and three, respectively. However, the likely favorite in the race is Sweden's Borups Victory from post six for trainer/driver Daniel Wäjersten as the son of Googoo Gaagaa comes in off a victory in the Group 1 Paralympiatravet at Åby on May 4. Borups Victory was also second in last year's Elitlopp final.
"He looks really good, he is happy and alert. He knows these routines and conditions," Redén wrote about Don Fanucci Zet. "It's the first time with Ploquin in Sweden, but Fanucci is quite easy to drive and Ploquin knows the horse since (he drove him at) Vincennes in two big races. It was a good situation, and I think the driver will charge and the horse will grow when he is up there. He probably has a good performance in him as it feels. He is getting old but he doesn't feel worse now than before and it seems that the neck surgery has at least had something to do with it. He wears shoes to be stable from the start so he can charge properly."
Post times for the first and second eliminations are 9:28 a.m. (EDT) and 9:55 a.m. (EDT) with the final at 11:45 a.m. (EDT). The program also includes the Group 2 Montéeliten for horses under saddle (race three), the Group 1 Breeders Course for 3-year-old trotting fillies (race four), the Group 2 Delicious race for 4-year-old mare trotters (race eight), the Group 1 Breeders Course for 3-year-old male trotters (race nine) and the Group 2 Tommy Hannés for 4-year-old male trotters (race ten). The Delicious features the second outing in Sweden for Allegiant, the 2024 Dan Patch Award winner for top 3-year-old trotting filly in the U.S.
Elimination 1 - Race 6 (May 25 at Solvalla)
Post - Horse (Country) - Driver - Trainer
1. Etonnant (France) - Anthony Barrier - Richard Westerink
2. Francesco Zet (Sweden) - Örjan Kihlström - Daniel Redén
3. Go On Boy (France) - Romain Derieux - Romain Derieux
4. Mellby Jinx (Sweden) - Mats E. Djuse - Daniel Wäjersten
5. Logan Park (Canada) - Doug McNair - Robert Fellows
6. A Fair Day (Sweden) - Oscar Ginman - Elisabeth Almheden
7. Charron (Norway) - Magnus Teien Gundersen - Geir Vegard Gundersen
8. Always EK (Italy) - Alessandro Gocciadoro - Alessandro Gocciadoro
Elimination 2 - Race 7 (May 25 at Solvalla)
Post - Horse (Country) - Driver - Trainer
1. Hohneck (France) - Gabriele Gelormini - Philippe Allaire
2. Hooker Berry (France) - Nicolas Bazire - Franck Leblanc
3. Don Fanucci Zet (Sweden) - Paul-Philippe Ploquin - Daniel Redén
4. Mellby Knekt (Sweden) - Magnus A. Djuse - Timo Nurmos
5. Hussard Du Landret (France) - Benoît Robin - Benoît Robin
6. Borups Victory (Sweden) - Daniel Wäjersten - Daniel Wäjersten
7. The Locomotive (Australia) - Brad Hewitt - Brad Hewitt
8. Massimo Hoist (Finland) - Hannu Torvinen - Jukka Hakkarainen