AMAZING CATCH LEADS SVANSTEDT QUARTET TO GRADUATE

HIGHTSTOWN, NJ -- May 29, 2025 -- Greg Luther wasn’t necessarily counting down the days until Amazing Catch’s first race of this season, but he is happy his trotter’s 2025 debut is nearly here.

Amazing Catch, purchased by Luther for a record $1.85 million during the mixed sale portion of the Standardbred Horse Sale this past November, will compete Saturday in the opening round of the Graduate Series for 4-year-old trotters, going for a purse of C$102,000 at Woodbine Mohawk Park in Ontario.

The previous record for a Standardbred sold at public auction was set in 2019 when trotting mare Atlanta brought $1.55 million online at onGait.com. That price topped the $1.1 million for 2-year-old trotting filly Cameron Hall at the 2001 Tattersalls December Mixed Sale.

Greg Luther wasn’t necessarily counting down the days until Amazing Catch’s first race of this season, but he is happy his trotter’s 2025 debut is nearly here.

Amazing Catch, purchased by Luther for a record $1.85 million during the mixed sale portion of the Standardbred Horse Sale this past November, will compete Saturday (May 31) in the opening round of the Graduate Series for 4-year-old trotters, going for a purse of C$102,000 at Woodbine Mohawk Park in Ontario.

The previous record for a Standardbred sold at public auction was set in 2019 when trotting mare Atlanta brought $1.55 million online at onGait.com. That price topped the $1.1 million for 2-year-old trotting filly Cameron Hall at the 2001 Tattersalls December Mixed Sale.

On Saturday, Amazing Catch will leave from post six in a field of nine. Dexter Dunn will drive the stallion for trainer Ake Svanstedt, who also was the horse’s conditioner last season when his victories included the Canadian Trotting Classic at Mohawk.

Amazing Catch is the 5-2 morning-line favorite.

“As busy as I am with all our broodmares and breeding and everything, breaking yearlings and all that, I kind of put (his first start) on the backburner,” said Luther, an Ohio resident who races as Greg Luther Racing LLC. “One good thing about sending him to Ake is that I didn’t have to worry about it much. He’s going to do his job, and he knows how to get him ready. But it was always in the back of my mind. I’m glad to get him back racing.”

Amazing Catch, a son of Walner-Mets Life, has hit the board in 14 of 18 career races, winning three and earning $870,830. His five lifetime second-place finishes include last year’s Kentucky Futurity and Dr. Harry M. Zweig Memorial and the 2023 Peter Haughton Memorial. He was third in last year’s Breeders Crown, beaten by a neck, and third in the Hambletonian from post 10 at The Meadowlands.

“He was always drawing bad, but he is better from the back,” Luther said. “He loves to chase horses. Anytime he’s been anywhere in the hunt, he’s been flying on the end. And that’s a lot of fun when you’re racing a horse that’s going forward rather than hoping they hold on at the front. I think it will be a lot of fun if we can draw better and get away midpack and not have to come from so far back this year.”

Amazing Catch qualified twice in preparation for Saturday’s start. He was fifth, timed in 1:54.3, on May 2 at The Meadowlands, then won gate-to-wire in 1:53.4 on May 17 at The Big M. In both qualifiers, he came home with a :27.1 last quarter.

“The first qualifier was just so-so, but the second qualifier was much better, and he trained good after that,” Svanstedt said. “He is a good horse. He was one of the better 3-year-olds last year. He had bad posts often, but he raced good.”

In addition to the Graduate Series, which concludes July 5 at The Meadowlands, Amazing Catch is eligible to the Hambletonian Maturity on July 12 at The Big M. The Maturity, like the Graduate Series, is restricted to 4-year-olds.

“I’ve never been in the Maturity,” Luther said. “That’s the one I’m really pointing to. I think he’ll have a fair shot in there, for sure. The Maturity and the Breeders Crown (in October) are the two I’m kind of looking forward to.”

Amazing Catch is one of four Svanstedt-trained horses in Saturday’s Graduate opener. The others are Warrawee Michelle (one of two females in the field), Mr Bluebird, and Daiquiri Hanover. Svanstedt will drive Warrawee Michelle, who was a Breeders Crown champion at age 2 and won last year’s Hambletonian Oaks. She will leave from post three and is the 4-1 third choice on the morning line.

All four of Svanstedt’s horses are making their seasonal debut.

“I hope they can do good, all four of them,” Svanstedt said. “They are in good form, but not top. They might need a race or two before they’re top. Warrawee Michelle was very nice when she qualified (second, timed in 1:53, on May 17 at The Meadowlands). She grew a lot. She’s a big horse now. She trained back good after the winter, and she feels very good.”

The 7-2 second choice Saturday is Date Night Hanover, the other mare in the field. She will leave from post four with James MacDonald driving in her seasonal debut for trainer Marcus Melander. She is a two-time Kentucky Sire Stakes champ as well as a two-time Grand Circuit winner.

Saturday’s Mohawk card also includes two divisions of the opening round of the Graduate Series for 4-year-old pacers as well as two divisions of the Grade 3 Somebeachsomewhere Stakes for 3-year-old pacers.

Racing begins at 6:35 p.m. (EDT) at Woodbine Mohawk Park. For free daily race programs for Mohawk, visit the track’s website here.