Harness racing fans have seen three standout trotters emerge in a row since 2006 when Donato Hanover arrived on the scene for his two-year-old campaign
. Donato Hanover, who was Horse of the Year in 2007, was followed by Deweycheatumnhowe, who was Trotter of the Year last season, and then Muscle Hill. Of course, Muscle Hill still has a few races remaining in his career, but thus far, the three horses have combined to win 60 of 67 lifetime races and earned $9.13 million.
Will the string of terrific trotters continue? This season’s top money-earner among the two-year-old male trotters is Il Villaggio. The colt, trained by Erv Miller and driven by Tim Tetrick, has won six of seven races and earned $464,521. His victories include the $478,950 William Wellwood Memorial along with the New Jersey Sire Stakes championship and divisions of the Champlain and Bluegrass stakes. He already has one thing in common with Donato Hanover and Muscle Hill – he lost his career debut.
Il Villaggio went off stride in his first start. He has won his last three races by a total of 11 lengths.
“He used to be a little wild, but he’s really calmed down,” Tetrick said. “The connections have done a great job getting him to relax. He’s been a pleasure to drive the last four or five starts. He definitely has a lot of ability. He’s really turned the corner and learned to be a racehorse. He lets me drive him instead of him driving me. Every start he gets better and better.”
Third on the purse list for the two-year-old male trotters is Lucky Chucky, who also has won six of seven races. Trained by Chuck Sylvester and driven by John Campbell, the colt has earned $372,892. His triumphs include the $450,000 Valley Victory and a division of the Bluegrass. He was third, as the favourite, in the Peter Haughton Memorial.
Last week, Lucky Chucky won his Bluegrass division at the Red Mile by three-quarters of a length over Winning Fireworks in 1:56.2. Lucky Chucky was second for much of the mile before getting room in the stretch to move to the front.
“He was up in the bit pretty good,” Campbell said. “We’ve had a little trouble with him being a little too hyper. He tries to go too fast and gets out of kilter with his gait. When he’s relaxed and not trying to go too fast too quickly, he’s much smoother gaited. But he’s exceptionally honest for a two-year-old; he does not want to run. He’ll kind of hitch and hike, but he refuses to run so far.
“He sat in there good [last week] until he got surrounded and then he wanted to go, and there was just no place to go. When he got room, he trotted through very strong and I was very happy with the way he raced. We never really got started until we got into the lane, so he trotted home real spiffy.”
Pilgrims Taj, trained by Monte Gelrod and driven by Mike Lachance, has won five of eight races and never been worse than second on his way to $425,127 in earnings. He won the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship and was second in both the Valley Victory and Haughton.
“He’s done everything we’ve wanted him to do so far,” Lachance said. “He’s raced against some of the best around, and he’s looked good every time. Right now he’s in super shape and he’s got all his confidence. He’s better and better every time I sit behind him. He’s been very consistent. He’s going to go into the Breeders Crown in super shape.”
Wishing Stone has been among the fastest two-year-old male trotters this season. Among his peers, only Holiday Road’s 1:54 victory in the Haughton is faster than Wishing Stone’s 1:55 win in his Bluegrass division last week at the Red Mile. Wishing Stone, driven by John Campbell and trained by Dewayne Minor, beat Plan B In Hd by five lengths. He has won two of six races (finishing worse than second only once) and earned $119,631.
“He got a good trip, but he trotted home pretty strong and he was well within himself through the stretch,” Campbell said after the Bluegrass. “He’s very versatile. He’s not a very big colt, but he’s got a tenacious attitude for a small horse. He doesn’t know he’s little; I think he’s got little man’s disease.”
Holiday Road went off stride in the same Bluegrass division won by Wishing Stone. Holiday Road won three of his first four races, including the Haughton, but made breaks in his final two starts. Trainer Greg Peck said the colt would be shut down for the remainder of 2009.
“He’s tired,” said Peck, who also trains Muscle Hill, the No. 1-ranked horse in the current harness racing Top 10. “We are going to turn him out and hopefully come back to win the Hambletonian in 2010.”
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.