The Speed Demon
by Lisa Harkema
He had been a really good trotter in Europe and moved with his trainer to the US. At first some questioned if an 8-year-old European trotter they barely had heard of could compete with the best North Americans. But, as the trotting world quickly realized, the question was rather how the best North Americans could compete with the European speed demon. As it turned out, when Sebastian K was at his best, they simply didn’t stand a chance.
Before making his US debut in the Cutler Memorial elimination there were doubters as to how the 8-year-old European would stack up against the best North Americans. Most expected him to do well, but the mood was one of curiosity without any expectation of dominance. In his first qualifier he ran barefoot with a regular sulky and looked good but nothing extraordinary. Consequently, in his debut he went off at 5-1 odds. US bettors would not make that mistake again. Less than 2 minutes later Sebastian K had taken North America by storm with a dazzling 1:50.1 (1.08,5) performance – equaling the world and track record. Not everybody was convinced, though. In one comment on Standardbred Canada’s website, somebody – who might as well remain anonymous – wrote that “Sebastian K raced without shoes in this effort, I have yet to see a trotter race well back to back without shoes in N.A. It remains to be seen.”
The story of Sebastian K started 3 generations ago when his owner, Swedish company Knutsson Trotting AB (founded by Bertil Knutsson and then owned by his sons Michael Knutsson and Tristan Sjöberg), acquired the mare Sissi Hari. Her sire was The Prophet, a good trotter who was second to Triple Crown winner Lindy’s Pride in both the Hambletonian and the Yonkers Trot as well as the Swedish champion sire for three years. Her dam Willa Eden was imported from the US in 1980 and her maternal line runs, through Dorothy Day, back to the famous Mamie – the Midway Matron.