by Moira Fanning, Hambletonian Society

Cranbury, NJ – Adam Victor & Sons’ Mr. Muscleman, who did not lose a race from early April to late July, should roar into Ontario as a clear favorite in the US$800,000 Breeders Crown Trot.

One of four events slated for the Woodbine Entertainment Group’s Mohawk Racetrack on Saturday, Sept. 3, the Trot will be the richest of the events contested and has been established as North America’s premier event for older performers. Previous winners include such legendary trotters as Varenne, Pine Chip, Magician, Mack Lobell, Sugarcane Hanover and mares like Moni Maker and CR Kay Suzie. Total purses for the four events will be in excess of US$1.8 million.

Elimination events, if necessary, will be raced on Saturday, August 27.

While two-time Breeders Crown champion Fools Goal (now on the shelf) and defending Crown Trot Champion H P Paque are both eligible, the horse to beat based on performance this year has been Mr. Muscleman. Shipped to Kentucky for rest and relaxation after suffering his first loss since April on August 6, Mr. Muscleman has been training sharply and will qualify at the Red Mile next week before leaving for Canada and the Mike Vanderkemp barn.

The two-time Dan Patch Award winner, voted top honors in his class as a three-year-old and last year at age four, is on course to repeat his divisional dominance. During the four-month win streak, Mr. Muscleman, trained in the U.S. by Noel Daley and driven by Hall of Fame pilot Ron Pierce, rolled off nine consecutive victories including the Cutler, Titan Cup and Classic Series final. The five-year-old now has career earnings in excess of $2.4 million and four of the 17 sub-1:52 trotting miles in history belong to him.

Joining Mr. Muscleman among the 43 eligibles is Joseph Chnapko’s Hellava Hush, surprise winner of the Nat Ray, with earnings of more than $800,000 lifetime, a winner of a Classic leg at Woodbine and second to Mr. Muscleman in this year’s Classic final. Muscles Marina, another son of Muscles Yankee with wins in the Dygert final, and two open events at the Meadowlands is a likely entrant as is the Bob McIntosh-trained Jack Moiseyev-driven Cash Hall, third in the 2004 Hambletonian. McIntosh is the leading all time trainer in Breeders Crown history with 14 titles and Moiseyev, who drove Fools Goal to wins in 2002 and 2003, has won six Breeders Crown events.

Hellava Hush, Muscles Marinara and Cash Hall will prep for the Crown in the third race at Mohawk on Saturday, Aug. 20.

Among the nominees are six that could be making their third appearance in the Breeders Crown– Approved Action, Civil Action, ENS Snapshot, HP Paque, Mac’s Crown K and Rotation. Civil Action, now racing in Italy for the ownership of Scuderia Milor Di Mion, will qualify on Sunday at Montecatini Racecourse in Tuscany and a decision will be made based on his performance whether he boards a plane bound for Toronto. Also nominated is Liberty Balance, a seven-year-old gelded son of Balanced Image, winner of the 2001 Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Colt Trot at Woodbine.

The US$800,000 Breeders Crown Trot carries a supplemental tag of US$100,000, and supplements are due Monday, August 22 at the Mohawk race office. Seven trotters have supplemented in past years, yet none have won the event. The starting fee is included in the supplemental amount, and at least 50% of the supplemental money, minus the normal starting fee, is added to the purse of the individual events.

Horses eligible to the Breeders Crown events must enter by 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, August 23, also at the Mohawk race office.

A complete listing of all eligibles to the four open events and more information on the conditions of the race can be found at www.hambletonian.org.