V86®: Hot contender from Eklundh – Jalapeno K. has found his way back
After a tough injury layoff, Jalapeno K. has made a brilliant return to the track.
Trainer André Eklundh’s talented trotter has scored two straight convincing wins and now faces a new challenge in V86®.
“He’s been really good lately and is starting to find his way back to that high level he showed two years ago,” says Eklundh.
During the winter of 2023–2024, 8 Jalapeno K.(V86–5) climbed rapidly through the ranks in the Swedish Trotting League (STL), capturing three wins in two months and proving his exceptional ability.
But an injury last fall temporarily derailed the progress of the now six-year-old millionaire.
“He suffered a splint bone fracture, and the bone actually damaged the suspensory ligament on one hind leg. For a while, the prognosis was uncertain,” explains Eklundh.
Since his comeback in late July, after a 10-month absence, Jalapeno K. has been nearly flawless — three wins and top-three finishes in all five starts this season.
“He’s been fantastic since returning from injury and now feels very close to 100 percent. He’s such a capable horse, and it’s great to see him back performing at this level again.”
Has beaten better horses before
Despite his missed time, Eklundh believes there is still a lot of development left in Jalapeno K.
“He’s now racing in the Silver Division, and we’re hoping he can establish himself there and eventually move up to even tougher competition. I also think he’ll handle longer distances really well. Hopefully, he’ll give us several more exciting seasons,” says André.
Jalapeno K. starts from the outside post behind the gate on Wednesday?
“Sure, it’s the worst possible draw, but he’s not delicate about position. He can do a lot of work on his own and actually races well even outside the leader, which gives me a few options. He’s beaten better horses before, so of course we’re hoping he’s in the fight for the win.”
Could be an extra gear for Mister Who
The Eklundh stable also sends out a starter at Solvalla, which shares the V86 card with Jägersro.
Three-year-old 6 Mister Who (V86–6) delivered an impressive win at Axevalla a few starts back, but didn’t get the chance to show his full ability last time out.
With “Calle” Jepson taking the reins this week, Eklundh is optimistic.
“He actually got stuck behind horses last time. I had the chance to move out, but we were going so darn fast right at that moment that I stayed in the two-path, and then we never really got room. He sprinted well once he got clear 75 meters from the finish line and had more trot left than I expected. He’s a good one for the class, and now we’ll pull his front shoes — I think that could give him an extra gear.”
“He can be a bit tricky from the start, so we’ll take it carefully early on. But he’s strong and keeps fighting all the way to the finish, so I have a good feeling.”
Back to Jägersro, where you also drive 7 Colombe Blanche (V86–7), making her second start for the stable. Your thoughts now?
“Last time she ended up completely wrong — the race was impossible to win from that position. Still, she finished well, and I was quite happy with her effort. She’ll probably need to show a bit more before we can talk about a winning chance, but I think she’ll take another step forward and deliver a solid performance,” concludes André Eklundh.