3, 1:54.2s ($487,320)
Kadabra – Earl Of My Dreams – Earl
2009 summary: 19 – 11-6-1 ($487,320)
Trainer: Charalambos Christoforou
Drivers: Jack Moiseyev, Randy Waples, Chris Christoforou
Owners: Charalambos Christoforou (ON), Banjo Farms (ON)
Breeders: Banjo Farms (ON), Charalambos Christoforou
(ON), William Jones (KY)
Equity dominated his Ontario-sired peers throughout much of the 2009 season for co-owner/trainer Charalambos Christoforou.
The colt is a Kadabra homebred out of Christoforou’s champion mare Earl Of My Dreams and it certainly appears that he is following in her footsteps.
Equity, who was unraced at age two, began his career with two straight wins but was unsuccessful in his first try against Ontario Sires Stakes competition.
The experience served him well, however, as he went on to post eight straight wins which included sweeps of two OSS Gold Series events and his elimination and the $166,880 final of the Canadian Breeders Championship.
Equity capped off his first season at the races with 11 wins in 19 starts and just shy of $500,000 in earnings.
3, 1:50.1 ($3,318,682)
Muscles Yankee – Yankee Blondie – American Winner
2009 summary: 12 – 12-0-0 ($2,501,381)
Trainer: Greg Peck
Drivers: Brian Sears, Luke McCarthy
Owners: Jerry Silva (NY), T L P Stable (NJ), Southwind Farm (NJ), Muscle Hill Racing LLC (NY)
Breeder: Winbak Farm (MD)
There are few superlatives left to describe Muscle Hill and what he accomplished in 2009. Industry experts consider him one of the greatest three-year-old trotters of all-time.
The flawlessly-gaited son of Muscles Yankee - Yankee Blondie was perfect in 12 starts for trainer Greg Peck - a native of Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia.
Entering the season, there was one goal in mind for his connections and that was winning the $1.5 Hambletonian - the holy grail of harness racing. ‘Operation Hambletonian’ was completed on August 8 at The Meadowlands when Muscle Hill devastated his rivals with a six-length 1:50.1 world-record performance.
In addition to winning the Hambo, Muscle Hill added the $200,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes, $185,250 Stanley Dancer division, $200,000 American National, $540,000 World Trotting Derby, $384,000 Kentucky Futurity final and the $617,880 Breeders Crown to his roster of victories.
The combined margin of victory for Muscle Hill in 12 starts was more than 45 lengths and no rival could get within a length of him at the finish.
Muscle Hill ended his sophomore season with $2,501,381 in earnings, making him the highest single-season money-winning trotter ever.
Who do you think will win? If you haven't voted yet, head over to the 2009 O'Brien poll.