by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — Muscle Massive will face six rivals Saturday night (Sept. 4) in a $122,000 division of the Simcoe Stakes for 3-year-old trotters at Mohawk Racetrack in Ontario. It will be the colt’s first start since his half-length win over Lucky Chucky in 1:51 in the $1 million Hambletonian, held August 7 at Meadowlands Racetrack.

Trained by Jimmy Takter and driven by Ron Pierce, Muscle Massive has won four of eight races this year and earned $969,665 for Swedish owners Brixton Medical Ab and Order By Stable as well as Ontario-based owners Louie Camara, Marvin Katz, Al Libfeld and Sam Goldband.

“He’s been training really good,” Takter said. “We haven’t been doing too many real fast miles, so I don’t expect him to be as sharp maybe as he was Hambo Day, but he’s in good form.”

Lisa photo

Hambletonian champion Muscle Massive returns to action in the Simcoe Stakes at Mohawk.

Takter’s primary target in Ontario is the million-dollar Canadian Trotting Classic. Eliminations, if necessary, are scheduled for September 11 and the final, which goes for $950,000 in U.S. dollars, is September 18.

“That’s the race we’re working for next,” Takter said.

Muscle Massive’s Simcoe division includes, from the rail, Peace Bridge, Text Me, He’s A Demon, Brother Glide, Grumpy Jake, and Pretty Boy Lindy. Muscle Massive, whose wins this year include the $200,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes championship and a $130,000 division of the Stanley Dancer Memorial, will start from the outside, in post seven.

Text Me has won seven of 11 races this season and is coming off consecutive Ontario Sire Stakes triumphs. He’s A Demon has won four of seven starts this year and is making his first appearance since finishing fourth in his Hambletonian elim and failing to advance to the final.

The second of the two Simcoe divisions includes, from the rail, Zorgwijk Kingpin, Hard Cider, Windsong Geant, Zuerest, Break The Bank K, Keystone Swagger, and Arriba Amigo.

Muscle Massive will not be Takter’s only horse of interest at Mohawk on Saturday. Great Vintage and Rollwithitharry are in the million-dollar Metro Pace final for 2-year-old pacers. Great Vintage starts from post one while Rollwithitharry begins from post 10.

Great Vintage, who was slowed by a neck problem, has won four of five races this year, including his Metro elimination. Great Vintage is a three-quarter brother to top older pacer Vintage Master (who on Wednesday was scratched from the Canadian Pacing Derby because of a fever).

“I like him,” Takter said about Great Vintage. “I like him a lot. I think he’s got as good a chance as anyone in that race. John (Campbell) shut him down the final eighth (of a mile in the elim). What I like about him is he’s never touched the bottom yet. He’ll probably have to do that on Saturday, but he’s always finished with power left.

“Too bad the other colt got the 10 hole; he’s a good horse, too. I’ve been drawing so badly lately, but what can you do.”

Takter also will send So Perfect into the consolation for the She’s A Great Lady (for 2-year-old filly pacers) and Rockstar Temper into the consolation for the Metro Pace.