17th Straight Win

[PrivateSmiles]

It could happen.

http://www.harnesslink.com/www/Article.cgi?ID=75406

Muscle Hill goes for 17th straight in Classic

Harnesslink Admin 05:51 AM 16-Sep-2009

Muscle Hill, racing at a third different harness racing track in as many weekends, made it 8-for-8 this year by winning his elimination race for Saturday's C$1 million Canadian Trotting Classic by 5-1/4 lengths over Howd That Feel in 1:53.3. The triumph extended Muscle Hill's win streak to 16 races. His only setback was a second-place finish, losing by a neck, in his career debut.

On September 5, Muscle Hill won the $540,000 World Trotting Derby at the Du Quoin State Fair in Illinois. A week earlier, he won the $200,000 American-National Stakes at Balmoral Park in Chicago. Muscle Hill is bidding to become the third consecutive Hambletonian winner to also claim the World Trotting Derby and Canadian Trotting Classic, joining Deweycheatumnhowe (2008) and Donato Hanover (2007).

Muscle Hill won the $1.5 million Hambletonian with a world-record-equaling 1:50.1 mile on August 8 at the Meadowlands.

So far, Muscle Hill has handled his travels through the Midwest and Canada fine and is keeping on weight. He will be starting for a fourth consecutive weekend for the first time in his career.

"He's staying in good shape, ready to go," trainer Greg Peck said. "He is at Dr. David Goodrow's private training center in Cambridge. He eats a textured feed, like a sweet feed, and that plus rice bran mixed in to give him some more fat content.

Peck said Muscle Hill had no problems handling his third different racetrack in as many weeks.

Peck said the race on Saturday has special significance for him.

"This is Canada's Hambletonian," he said. "It is my home country and I was most happy to be there and I'd love to win it, as close to my home turf as possible. I grew up watching this race and the Maple Leaf Trot (for older horses) so I'm certainly very happy to win the elimination and hope we can win the final."

Although he picked the post position (No. 1) for the Hambletonian, Peck deferred to driver Brian Sears for the Trotting Classic.

"We picked post four," Peck said. "We had first pick and that's what Brian wanted so that's what we picked. He likes to have options. It looks like at Mohawk, you want to be somewhere toward the middle of the gate rather than my beloved rail. It was me who insisted on the rail in the Hambletonian, so I said it was time to let Brian choose."

"It was nice that Brian was reunited with Muscle Hill (in the Trotting Classic elimination) because he's been there from day one," Peck said. "At the time he left Du Quoin, it looked like they wouldn't race. Make no mistake, Brian is very committed to Muscle Hill. He checks in on him all the time, at the point where he left to go to Canada, it looked like they wouldn't race. There were other owners involved and at that point it looked like the way to go was to go to Canada. He would never want to leave Muscle Hill, that is for sure."

[JDinSD77]

Is this at Mohawk or some other Canadian harness track?

[Srotagtbs]

Is this at Mohawk or some other Canadian harness track?

Mohawk

[PrivateSmiles]

Will TVG cover it? Do they take Mohawk races?

[PrivateSmiles]

17th Straight Win - Done!

Nice photo at link.

http://www.woodbineentertainment.com/oj ... R=1/1/2009^12/31/2009

Muscle Hill Crushes Canadian Trotting Classic Field

CAMPBELLVILLE, September 19, 2009 -- Muscle Hill, driven by Brian Sears, continued his extraordinary career Saturday at Mohawk Racetrack, trouncing nine rivals in the $1 million Canadian Trotting Classic.

At the finish, the winning margin was an effortless, geared down three and one-half lengths over Explosive Matter, in 1:53.1, with Southern Rocketop third.

It was the 17th consecutive victory for the three-year-old trotter, who has only tasted defeat once, that in his career debut when dropping a neck decision a year ago July at the Meadowlands.

Since then, the son of Muscles Yankee has taken all of the glamour events - including last year's Breeders Crown in world record time and the famed Hambletonian and World Trotting Derby this year.

Now, he joins a pantheon of trotting greats, including Donato Hanover and Deweycheatumnhowe, the last two winners of the Canadian Trotting Classic, who were also victorious in the Hambletonian and World Trotting Derby during their sophomore seasons.

The sky may not even be the limit for Muscle Hill. Many think he may be the best trotter ever, considering the ease by which he's been winning. He won the Hambletonian by six lengths in world record-equaling time, 1:50.1, the American National by over seven lengths and his Classic elimination last week by over five lengths.

His dominating effort tonight, his ninth victory of the year, was accomplished with an early knockout punch. Muscle Hill moved quickly from fifth before the half-mile mark, overtaking Southern Rocketop, who had led the field through a quick :26.2 opening quarter.

From there, it was everything the packed Mohawk grandstand expected from the superstar. After reaching the half in :56.2, Muscle Hill coasted through three-quarters in 1:25 and was, once again, on his way to the winner's circle, as Sears eased up the colt through the stretch.

"It feels fantastic. What a great feeling. He's a very special horse," said Sears, celebrating his first Canadian Trotting Classic win and over $100 million in career purse earnings with the victory. "They just don't come around like him very often. He's by far the best horse I've ever driven."

"One of my main concerns was I didn't want to get three deep and parked. So I let everybody settle in and when I moved him, he responded very well. He's been doing what he's been doing all along. He stuck to his work. He was fantastic. I feel very lucky to drive a horse like that."

Trained by Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia native Gregory Peck, Muscle Hill, bought for $55,000 as a yearling, has now earned over $2.7 million for owners Jerry Silva, TLP Stable, Southwind Farm and Muscle Hill Racing, including tonight's $500,000 jackpot from the 34th edition of the Canadian Trotting Classic, the richest race in Canada for trotters.

Sent postward the prohibitive 1-9 choice, Muscle Hill paid $2.20 to win and $2.10 to place. There was no show wagering. A 4-3 (Explosive Matter, $6.20 to place) exactor returned $9.80, while a 4-3-2 (Southern Rocketop) triactor was worth $29.90.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Muscle Hill smiles for the camera:

http://www.woodbineentertainment.com/ojcdis.asp?LI=YES&ACT=DIS&SEC=SBN&ART=1253141889716&DTSR=1%2F1%2F2009%5E12%2F31%2F2009