from Harness Racing Communications, a division of the USTA

Freehold, NJ — The winner of the $700,000 Breeders Crown for 2-year-old male trotters on November 29 at the Meadowlands Racetrack could end up being the favorite for next year’s Hambletonian. After all, the last two Hambletonian champs, Deweycheatumnhowe and Donato Hanover, also won the Breeders Crown the previous year.

Leading the cast of 2-year-olds in this season’s Breeders Crown is Peter Haughton Memorial winner Muscle Hill. The son of Muscles Yankee-Yankee Blondie lost his first start by a neck to Homer Jay before winning seven in a row. His victories also include the New Jersey Sire Stakes final and divisions of the Bluegrass and International Stallion stakes.

USTA/Ken Weingartner photo

Muscle Hill has banked $454,801 for trainer Greg Peck with six wins in seven starts.

“It’s tough because you have to peak three times,” trainer Greg Peck said. “He had to peak for the Peter Haughton, and then he had to get ready for Lexington with time off, and now get ready again. He appears fresh. But there are other good horses out there, so we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Muscle Hill is a full brother to multiple-stakes-winner Diesel Don. A $55,000 yearling purchase, Muscle Hill is owned by Jerry Silva and TLP Stable.

“He’s an excellent horse to be around,” Peck said. “He doesn’t do anything wrong and goes about his business. They talk about good ones that were good from the start — he was. He had good manners. Still, you don’t know they’re going to be that good. He was very good, but how could you say, ‘I knew he was that good,’ because how many of them are that good? Not that many.”

The top five finishers from two elimination races on Friday advance to the Breeders Crown final. The fields, which also include Valley Victory winner Federal Flex, Wellwood Memorial winner Tom Cango, and Matron Stakes winner Explosive Matter, follow with horses listed in post position order (with drivers/trainers).

Elimination 1: 1. Keystone Activator (A. Miller/J. Raymer), 2. Winning Mister (M. Lachance/R. Gillock), 3. Braggart (D. Miller/J. Arledge Jr.), 4. Select Yankee (D. Dube/J. Czernyson), 5. Hurrikanebiggeorge (Y. Gingras/J. McDermott), 6. Muscle Hill (B. Sears/G. Peck), 7. Cesar A Blue Chip (T. Tetrick/N. Daley).

Elimination 2: 1. Tom Cango (Jo. Campbell/Ji. Campbell), 2. Wuthering Hanover (G. Brennan/J. Czernyson), 3. Federal Flex (J. Jamieson/J. Gillis), 4. Explosive Matter (R. Pierce/N. Daley), 5. Citation Lindy (R. Schnittker/R. Schnittker), 6. Encore Encore (T. Tetrick/R. Gillock), 7. Triumphant Caviar (L. Ouellette/C. Beaver).