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Muscle Hill Takes World Trotting Derby

Vintage Master Wins Cane Pace – Check Season Speed Leaders

Sep 17, 2009 BarbaraAnne Helberg

While Muscle Hill continued to dominate the trotting class in the World Derby, Vintage Master pulled off a major victory in the Cane Pace, a pacing Triple Crown event.

Muscle Hill, dandy son of Muscles Yankee, is stepping out a trotting legacy this season. His 1:52.3 in September 5th's World Trotting Derby demonstrated his ability to go without adverse conditions affecting him.

Southern Rocketop pressed Muscle Hill slightly through a final quarter of :26.2 over a track scraped into condition following rainfall, and a new driver, Australian Luke McCarthy, climbed aboard the MH bike for trainer Greg Peck when regular driver Brian Sears was forced by the rain delay to leave for Mohawk Racetrack, where he and several others were committed to drive.

MH just kept on trucking his trot, moving his season's earnings to $1,366,441. In his career of 15 wins from 16 starts, Muscle Hill has banked $2,183,742. He lost his first start as a two-year-old, and has come on to win everything in sight since then, including the Hambletonian this year.

Cane Pace Finishing Card

The Cane Pace is the first stop for pacers on their Triple Crown journey, and the second leg, the Little Brown Jug, is just around the corner, scheduled at the Delaware County Fair next week.

Vintage Master won the 55th Cane Pace at Freehold Raceway September 7 with attitude, pumping to a 5-1/2 lengths triumph in front of biker Dan Dube. VM made good on the second Triple Crown race win for trainer Jimmy Takter this season. Takter won the Yonkers Trot with Judge Joe shortly after that colt was sold by Doug Ackerman Stable.

Vintage Master knocked off North America Cup winner Well Said in the Delvin Miller Adios August 8. The two pacers are headed for a huge show-down at the LBJ.

The Cane Pace finishers were:

  • Vintage Master, driven by Dan Dube, by 5-1/2, from post position one
  • Clear Vision (Dave Miller), by 5-1/2, from pp two
  • Arctic Warrior (Y. Gingras), by 6-1/4, from pp three
  • Mr. Wiggles (C. Callahan), by 6-1/2, from pp four
  • If I Can Dream (J. Morrill Jr.), by 6-3/4, from pp six
  • Hail Storm (J. Gregory), 9-3/4, from pp five

Western Posse and Johnny Z both scratched.

Season Speed Leaders

Harness racing's season speed leaders include:

  • Mile Tracks, three-year-olds trotters -- Muscle Hill, 1:50.1
  • Five-Eighths Mile Tracks -- Explosive Matter, 1:53
  • Half-Mile Tracks -- Keystone Activator, 1:55.3
  • Mile Tracks, three-year-old pacers -- Well Said, 1:47.3
  • Five-Eighths Mile Tracks -- Well Said, 1:49
  • Half-Mile Tracks -- Vintage Master, 1:50.4

Top Ten in Harness Racing 2009

Muscle Hill also leads the 2009 Top Ten Standardbred Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown Poll with a perfect seven victories from as many starts.

  • No. 1 -- Muscle Hill, 3-year-old trotting colt -- starts 7, firsts 7, seconds 0, thirds 0
  • No. 2 -- Lucky Jim, 4TG -- 18 - 17 - 0 - 1
  • No. 3 -- Well Said, 3PC -- 9 - 7 - 0 - 1
  • No. 4 -- Not Enough, 3PF -- 12 - 10 - 1 - 1
  • No. 5 -- Buck I St. Pat, 6TM -- 13 - 7 - 1 - 2
  • No. 6 -- Southwind Tempo, 5PM -- 12 - 6 - 3 - 2
  • No. 7 -- Sportswriter, 2PC -- 5 - 5 - 0 - 0
  • No. 8 -- Vintage Master, 3PC -- 15 - 3 - 7 - 2
  • No. 9 -- Shark Gesture, 6PH -- 24 - 6 - 6 - 0
  • No.10 -- Explosive Matter, 3TC -- 7 - 4 - 2 - 1

The Little Brown Jug final will be run Thursday, September 24 in Delaware, Ohio.

The copyright of the article Muscle Hill Takes World Trotting Derby in Horse Racing is owned by BarbaraAnne Helberg. Permission to republish Muscle Hill Takes World Trotting Derby in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Muscle Hill Dominates Breeders Crown, Barbara Anne Helberg Muscle Hill Dominates Breeders Crown
   
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