Muscle Hill Leads 2009 Money Winning Trotters
Colt Surpassed Nevele Pride's Hambletonian Margin -- Won World Derby
Sep 18, 2009
With $1,366,441 in winnings this season (as of September 7, according to The Horseman and Fair World magazine, Issue September 9, 2009), Muscle Hill leads the money earning world of North American-based trotters after pocketing his share of the winner's purse from the World Trotting Derby at DuQuoin, Illinois State Fair racetrack September 5.
Muscle Hill also blasted to victory in the 2009 Hambletonian, in which he bested the great Nevele Pride in margin of victory with his six-length triumph for owners Jerry Silva, the TLP Stable, Southwind Farm ,and Muscle Hill Racing LLC.
The Hambo and WT Derby increased Muscle Hill's career earnings to $2,183,742.
Margins of Victory in the Hambletonian
Only Mack Lobell stands ahead of Muscle Hill for margin of victory in the Hambletonian. Muscle Hill's win leads the decade, and just five others have won trotting's most prestigious race by over five lengths.
- Mack Lobell -- 1987 -- 6-1/4 lengths
- Muscle Hill -- 2009 -- 6 lengths
- Peter Astra -- 1939 -- 6 lengths
- Self Possessed -- 1999 -- 5-1/2 lengths
- Nevele Pride -- 1968 -- 5-1/2 lengths
- Miss Tilly -- 1949 -- 5 lengths
- Greyhound -- 1935 -- 5 lengths
North American-Based Money Leading Standardbreds
North America Cup victor Well Said leads all North American-based Standardbreds in money earned this year with over $1.5 million in the bank. His bankroll was boosted by the $1.5 million purse put up at Mohawk Racetrack for the XXVI NA Cup June 27. He is owned by Jeff Snyder and Susan Grange.
- Well Said -- three-year-old pacing colt -- $1,568,439
- Muscle Hill -- three-year-old trotting colt -- $1,366,441
- Lucky Jim -- four-year-old trotting gelding -- $1,063,618
- Vintage Master -- three-year-old pacing colt -- $1,038,826
- Not Enough -- three-year-old pacing filly -- $952,625
- Shark Gesture -- six-year-old pacing horse -- $891,070
- If I Can Dream -- three-year-old pacing colt -- $793,393
- Explosive Matter -- three-year-old trotting colt -- $757,025
- Mr. Wiggles -- three-year-old pacing colt -- $754,537
- Bettor Sweet -- four-year-old pacing gelding --$697,009
Trainers' Earnings Led by Ronnie Burke
Ronnie Burke has been the busiest trainer on the season circuit. He has had Standardbred starters in 2,266 races and enjoyed 546 wins that produced over $9 million in earnings. The Top Five earning trainers include:
- Ronnie Burke -- 2,266 starts; 546 wins; 367 seconds; 267 thirds -- earnings, $9,747,643
- Tracy Brainard -- 607 starts -- 148 - 90 - 84 -- earnings, $4,912,361
- Casie Coleman -- 873 starts -- 212 - 158 - 117 -- earnings, $4,542,351
- Jimmy Takter -- 322 starts -- 76 - 47 - 51 -- earnings, $4,381,523
- Erv Miller -- 1,140 starts -- 254 - 194 - 155 -- earnins, $3,631,342
Greg Peck trains Muscle Hill. He chose to race MH only five times in the colt's two-year-old season and increase the load this year to lead up to the Hambletonian. The schedule strategy paid off as Muscle Hill set all kinds of records.
Jeff Snyder turned over Well Said's training duties to Steve Elliott earlier this season.
