Muscle Hill is still undefeated in 2009.
The record-setting horse, who won all 12 of his starts this year, including the Hambletonian and the Breeders Crown, on Monday was announced as the unanimous choice
of the U.S. Harness Writers Association (USHWA) as harness racing’s best male three-year-old trotter.
Award-winners were named in 12 age-based divisions for trotters and pacers. The results of USHWA balloting for Trotter of the Year, Pacer of the Year and Horse of the Year will be revealed at the organization’s annual awards dinner, to be held February 28 at Yonkers Raceway in New York.
Other division winners were two-year-old male trotter Lucky Chucky, two-year-old male pacer Sportswriter, two-year-old filly trotter Poof Shes Gone, two-year-old filly pacer Fancy Filly, three-year-old filly trotter Broadway Schooner, three-year-old male pacer Well Said, three-year-old filly pacer Yellow Diamond, older male trotter Lucky Jim, older female trotter Buck I St Pat, older male pacer Won The West and older female pacer Southwind Tempo.
Buck I St Pat, Southwind Tempo and Muscle Hill each won a Dan Patch Award previously in their careers.
Muscle Hill, the top-ranked horse in the year-end Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll, was a unanimous selection in the USHWA voting, being named on all 173 ballots returned. In addition to his stakes triumphs, which also included the Kentucky Futurity, Canadian Trotting Classic and World Trotting Derby, the colt set a record for seasonal earnings by any trotter or pacer of any age by banking $2.45 million (U.S.) this year.
Trained by Greg Peck and driven in all but one start by Brian Sears, Muscle Hill equaled the all-age world record for trotting on a mile track when he won the Hambletonian in 1:50.1 on August 8 at the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey. Peck was named Trainer of the Year and Sears was voted Driver of the Year earlier this month by USHWA.
Muscle Hill, who won 20 of 21 lifetime races and finished his career with a 20-race win streak, has retired to stallion duty at Southwind Farm in New Jersey. He was owned during his racing career by Jerry Silva, TLP Stable, Southwind Farm and Muscle Hill Racing.
Among the other winners, Lucky Jim won 17 of 18 races and also equaled the world record of 1:50.1 when he won the Nat Ray Invitational at the Meadowlands on the same afternoon Muscle Hill captured the Hambletonian. Well Said won 10 of 14 races and joined Precious Bunny as the only horses to win the North America Cup, Meadowlands Pace and Little Brown Jug in the same year. Precious Bunny accomplished the feat in 1991.
TWO-YEAR-OLD MALE TROTTER OF THE YEAR
Lucky Chucky (94 votes)
Windsongs Legacy-Aerobics-Muscles Yankee
Breeder: Perretti Farms.
Owners: Chuck Sylvester, Neal Goldman, Amy Lynn Stoltzfus.
Trainer: Chuck Sylvester. Driver: John Campbell.
Races: 12-9-2-1. Purses: $667,792. Mark: 1:55.1 at Woodbine.
Top wins: $450,000 Valley Victory; $166,800 Matron.
TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROTTER OF THE YEAR
Poof Shes Gone (145 votes)
Kadabra-Travelin Superlite-Garland Lobell
Breeder: Tara Hills Stud.
Owners: Melvin Hartman, Herb Liverman, David McDuffee, John Fielding.
Trainer: Richard Norman. Driver: David Miller.
Races: 12-10-1-1. Purses: $1.03 million. Mark: 1:55.1 at the Meadowlands.
Top wins: $600,000 Breeders Crown; $525,800 Merrie Annabelle.
THREE-YEAR-OLD MALE TROTTER OF THE YEAR
Muscle Hill (173 votes)
Muscles Yankee-Yankee Blondie-American Winner
Breeder: Winbak Farm.
Owners: Jerry Silva, TLP Stable, Southwind Farm, Muscle Hill Racing.
Trainer: Greg Peck. Driver: Brian Sears.
Races: 12-12-0-0. Purses: $2.45 million (record). Mark: 1:50.1 at the Meadowlands (equaled world record).
Top wins: $1.5 million Hambletonian; $930,000 Canadian Trotting Classic.
THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROTTER OF THE YEAR
Broadway Schooner (104 votes)
Broadway Hall-Pine Schooner-Pine Chip
Breeders: Arlene Siegel, Jules Siegel.
Owners: Arlene Siegel, Jules Siegel.
Trainer: Jim Campbell. Driver: Brian Sears.
Races: 16-7-5-1. Purses: $869,341. Mark: 1:53.3 at the Meadowlands.
Top wins: $783,042 Hambletonian Oaks; $600,000 Breeders Crown.
OLDER MALE TROTTER OF THE YEAR
Lucky Jim (169 votes)
SJs Photo-Hawaiian Sierra-Sierra Kosmos
Breeder: Bill Troyer.
Owners: David Prushnok, John Prushnok, William Gregg.
Trainer: Julie Miller. Driver: Andy Miller.
Races: 18-17-0-1. Purses: $1.06 million. Mark: 1:50.1 at the Meadowlands (equaled world record).
Top wins: $600,000 Breeders Crown; $300,000 Nat Ray.
OLDER FEMALE TROTTER OF THE YEAR
Buck I St Pat (150 votes)
Jailhouse Jesse-Name It Something-Speed In Action
Breeder: Ron Fuller.
Owners: Howard Taylor, Edwin Gold, Abraham Basen, Ron Fuller.
Trainer: Ron Burke. Driver: Tim Tetrick.
Races: 17-9-2-3. Purses: $400,925. Mark: 1:52.0 at the Meadowlands.
Top wins: $250,000 Breeders Crown; $139,500 Conway Hall.
TWO-YEAR-OLD MALE PACER OF THE YEAR
Sportswriter (136 votes)
Artsplace-Precious Beauty-Jate Lobell
Breeder: James Avritt Sr.
Owners: Steve Calhoun, West Wins Stable.
Trainer: Casie Coleman. Driver: Mark MacDonald.
Races: 8-7-1-0. Purses: $815,680. Mark: 1:49.2 at Mohawk (world record).
Top wins: $920,000 Metro Pace; $148,800 Champlain.
TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACER OF THE YEAR
Fancy Filly (148 votes)
Western Hanover-Fanciful Hanover-Artsplace
Breeders: Emerald Highlands Farm, W. James Sprow III.
Owners: George Teague Jr. Inc., Ted Gewertz, Only Money Inc.
Trainer: George Teague Jr. Driver: Brian Sears.
Races: 12-10-1-1. Purses: $817,655. Mark: 1:51.1 at Harrah’s Chester (world record).
Top wins: $610,000 Breeders Crown; $500,000 Three Diamonds.
THREE-YEAR-OLD MALE PACER OF THE YEAR
Well Said (163 votes)
Western Hanover-Must See-Artsplace
Breeders: Fair Winds Farm, Steve Jones.
Owners: Jeff Snyder, Lothlorien.
Trainer: Steve Elliott. Driver: Ron Pierce.
Races: 14-10-0-1. Purses: $1.98 million. Mark: 1:47.3 at the Meadowlands.
Top wins: $1.3 million North America Cup; $1 million Meadowlands Pace.
THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACER OF THE YEAR
Yellow Diamond (105 votes)
Western Terror-Mattatonic-Matts Scooter
Breeder: Perfect World Enterprises.
Owner: Bulletproof Enterprises.
Trainer: Tracy Brainard. Drivers: Jim Morrill Jr., Tim Tetrick.
Races: 22-14-3-4. Purses: $1.31 million. Mark: 1:49.4 at Pocono Downs.
Top wins: $710,000 Breeders Crown; $250,340 James Lynch Memorial.
OLDER MALE PACER OF THE YEAR
Won The West (77 votes)
Western Hanover-Gabrielle-Dragons Lair
Breeder: Fair Winds Farm.
Owners: Strollin Stable, William Robinson, James Koehler.
Trainer: Ron Burke. Drivers: Jim Morrill Jr., David Miller, Dave Palone.
Races: 22-6-3-4. Purses: $785,415. Mark: 1:47.0 at the Meadowlands.
Top wins: $500,000 Breeders Crown; $322,000 Bobby Quillen Memorial.
OLDER FEMALE PACER OF THE YEAR
Southwind Tempo (158 votes)
Bettors Delight-Tsunami Hanover-Artsplace
Breeder: Southwind Farm.
Owners: Let It Ride Stables, Jerry Silva.
Trainers: Ross Croghan, Darren McCall. Drivers: Jody Jamieson, Tim Tetrick.
Races: 15-7-5-2. Purses: $901,475. Mark: 1:48.3 at Harrah’s Chester (world record).
Top wins: $345,092 Milton; $314,802 Classic.
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.