Muscle Hill Qualifies, To Race Prior To 'Derby'
To the surprise of some, Hambletonian winner Muscle Hill qualified this morning at the Red Mile. Earlier this week, trainer Greg Peck told Trot Insider that the Muscles Yankee three-year-old will be racing pari-mutuelly prior to the September 5 World Trotting Derby
.
In what was the fifth of the Red Mile's qualifying races this morning, Muscle Hill, with Peck in the race bike, left from Post 5 and recorded a wire-to-wire victory in 1:56.2. The fractions were cut in :30, :58.1 and 1:28 before the trotting star came home with a :28.2 final quarter mile.
"He's great and raring to go," Peck told Trot Insider before the qualifying effort. "He’ll qualify in Lexington on Friday (today) and then go to the American Nationals the following Saturday (August 29)."
The American National will be taking place at Balmoral Park in Illinois.
Related Story