V85® (Good Friday): The road toward the Elitloppet starts in the Prince’s race
Victory in five out of seven starts during his first season in Sweden. On Good Friday, he returns. Keep Asking begins the road toward the Elitloppet in the Prince Carl Philip Jubilee Trophy.
After competing successfully in the North American stakes circuit, Keep Asking (V85-6) was purchased for Sweden ahead of his four-year-old season. He won immediately for his new trainer Daniel Redén, before truly introducing himself to the Scandinavian trotting audience in the Four-Year-Old Elite during the Elitlopp weekend at Solvalla. There, he held strongly for second place after a brutal opening. This year, the stallion is a hot candidate for the main event at Solvalla on the last Sunday in May, and he takes his first step toward a pink Elitlopp ticket in the Duke of Värmland, Prince Carl Philip Jubilee Trophy at Färjestad Racetrack.
"Keep Asking is a cool little guy and he was good in all his races last year," says Daniel Redén to stallzet.se ahead of the five-year-old’s seasonal debut.
The distance is 1,640 meters and from the inside post behind the starting gate, a lot points toward the lead. Many bettors believe in a front-end victory and advocate a single pick on V85®. Daniel Redén also sounds very positive about the horse.
"He has done his workouts well and is small and quick, so I don’t think he needs a start in his legs as much as many of my other horses. The draw was good since he is very fast from the start, and it will be barefoot and an American sulky."
Undefeated on Swedish soil
From the post outside, Keep Asking’s stablemate 2 Izod Zet makes his seasonal debut, but he is further from top form and needs a start according to Daniel Redén. Keep Asking’s crop sister and compatriot, the twelve-time millionaire 2 Allegiant (V85-2), is more interesting for the bettors. She was also purchased for Sweden after two years at the top of the North American crop and won three out of three races here, including the Four-Year-Old Elite for mares during the Elitlopp weekend, before ending her season already in June.
"She was fantastic in the starts she made last year and it will be incredibly exciting to see what she can accomplish this year," says Daniel Redén.
Allegiant starts from post two behind the gate in the Folke Hjalmarsson Memorial over 2,140 meters.
"She has trained strongly and I sat behind her on Monday and was pleased. Before the races last year she had trained on our track, but this year she has only trained in the sand, and of course she might need a start. Easter comes early this year, but it’s time to start her up and see where the season goes. The race and the draw turned out well, and it will be shoes and an American sulky as she raced with previously."
"Good strength"
Four-year-old 5 Mister Malabar (V85-7) also represents Daniel Redén’s stable during Good Friday’s races at Färjestad. After winning two out of seven races last year, he begins his four-year-old season from post five in the volt start, in the Copiad Silver Trophy.
"He is a horse I really like and there is good strength in him. He has looked very nice in his workouts and with a better draw he would have been very interesting, but I’m concerned about the post since he can get a bit eager. It will be shoes and a regular sulky."