by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — So far in his brief racing career, trotter Muscle Diamond’s strength has been his attitude. It’s a trait he might have inherited from his mom, former star Windylane Hanover.

“He’s a lot like his mom,” trainer Brett Bittle said. “His mom wasn’t a big horse. Her biggest asset was her determination, and he’s kind of the same way. He’s always charging at the wire and giving us what he’s got. His attitude and his determination are his biggest assets.”

Bittle trained Windylane Hanover throughout her career, which concluded in 2005 with 21 wins in 60 starts and $1.15 million in purses. She won the 2002 Hambletonian Oaks and received the 2003 Dan Patch Award for best older female trotter.

“She was great to us and to come back and get one of her colts and do well with him is pretty special,” Bittle said.

Muscle Diamond has won two of seven races this year and finished worse than second only twice. He has earned $111,369 for owners Bittle, Charles Keller III, Charles Keller IV, and Dan Bittle.

Nigel Soult photo

Muscle Diamond heads into the Matron with 2014 earnings of $111,369.

On Thursday, Muscle Diamond competes in the $237,500 Matron Stakes for 2-year-old male trotters at Dover Downs. The race is one of eight Matron Stakes for trotters and pacers on the card. Post time is 4:30 p.m. for the first race.

Muscle Diamond will start from post two with driver John Campbell and is 9-1 on the morning line. Wellwood Memorial winner Habitat, trained by Ron Burke, is the 5-2 favorite in a field that also includes stakes-winners Uncle Lasse and Billy Flynn.

“He’s been fun so far this year,” Bittle said about Muscle Diamond, a son of stallion Muscle Hill who was purchased for $40,000 at the 2013 Lexington Selected Sale. “I just raced him sparingly early on because he’s very immature. He was kind of a waiting game all winter. He just wasn’t a big, strong muscular colt. He just needed time, like a lot of them do.

“The way we managed him for this year is mostly for next year. We decided to go easy with him early in the year and he’s come around.”

Muscle Diamond’s seven starts are the fewest of any horse in the Matron. His best win time of 1:53.4, set in winning a division of the International Stallion Stakes at The Red Mile in October, is tied for fifth fastest by any 2-year-old trotter this season.

After going off stride in his debut at the Meadowlands in July, Muscle Diamond has finished among the top three in every start.

“I think he darted away from something on the inside of the track,” Bittle said. “At any rate, we talked about it and decided to put trotting hobbles on him. It just steadied him up and gave him some confidence.”

Muscle Diamond owns a win over New York Sire Stakes champion Crazy Wow and has finished second to Habitat and Billy Flynn in stakes events. Bittle plans to send Muscle Diamond to the Breeders Crown, but first comes the Matron.

“It’s not going to be his game there because it’s a speed-oriented track,” Bittle said about Thursday’s race. “We haven’t been leaving with him and he’s a come-from-behind horse. We’ll see how the race plays out.”

Father Patrick and Nuncio, who race out of the stable of trainer Jimmy Takter and have both earned more than $1 million this season, headline the Matron Stakes for 3-year-old male trotters. Takter’s multiple-stakes-winners Shake It Cerry and Lifetime Pursuit also lead the way in the Matron for 3-year-old female trotters.

Stakes champions Luck Be Withyou, All Bets Off, McWicked, and Lyonssomewhere are among the eight horses in the Matron for 3-year-old male pacers. Act Now, Weeper, and Gettingreadytoroll lead the morning line choices in the Matron for 3-year-old female pacers.

Yankee Bounty, who has lost only once in nine races for Delaware-based co-owner Frank Chick and trainer Ron Burke, and Kelvin Harrison’s In The Arsenal headline the Matron for 2-year-old male pacers.

Takter’s once-beaten world champion Wild Honey leads the Matron for 2-year-old female trotters. Joe Holloway’s Bettor Be Steppin and Burke’s Sassa Hanover are among the stars in the Matron for 2-year-old female pacers.