by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Freehold, NJ — The first foal sired by 2009 Horse of the Year Muscle Hill hit the ground around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 12, about two weeks sooner than expected, but in good shape at Diamond Creek Farm in Kentucky.

A colt, he is also the first foal for dam Silicone Valley.

Diamond Creek Farm photo

The first foal sired by 2009 Horse of the Year Muscle Hill hit the ground around 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 12.

“Everything is good right now,” said Adam Bowden, the farm’s owner/general manager. “So far so good. He was about 15 days early; for somebody born 15 days early he’s pretty good size.”

Silicone Valley, a daughter of Andover Hall out of stakes-winner Dream Valley OM, was purchased for $290,000 as a yearling at the Lexington Selected Sale. She was third twice (including behind Glide Power and Levi’s Lady in a Simpson Stakes division at The Red Mile) from seven starts as a 2-year-old, her only season of racing.

She was owned by Jerry Silva and Melvin Hartman before Diamond Creek Farm bought 50 percent following her 2-year-old campaign.

Dream Valley OM is a full sister to 1994 Hambletonian winner Victory Dream.

“It’s a good family,” Bowden said. “We’re just kind of shocked he came this early. We’ve never had one this early before, but it’s kind of neat to have the first Muscle Hill, for sure. He’ll be a little famous.”

A little famous, but by what name will he be known? Bowden, who writes a blog about his breeding business, is looking for help.

“Now we need lots of name choices,” Bowden said. “Anyone that wants to submit a name, go for it.”

Suggestions can be posted on Bowden’s blog at http://innerworkingsofabreedingfarm.blogspot.com/.

Muscle Hill‘s second foal, also a colt, was born Thursday afternoon (Jan. 13) at Southwind Farms in Pennington, New Jersey and is the third foal out of Southwind Prelude, a full sister to stakes winner Malabar Maple 3,1:53.2 ($483,107), and a half sister to Muscle Power 1:54.3s ($339,691) and Southwind Pinnacle 2,1:58.2 ($232,275).

Mike Klau, Syndicate Manager for Southwind Farm and the Muscle Hill Syndicate, stated, “This is a very exciting time for all of us involved with Muscle Hill. We have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of his first foals and they have not disappointed. There should be around 110 foals from his first crop in North America, with additional foals in Europe and the Southern Hemisphere bred from frozen semen.”