from Harness Racing Communications, a division of the USTA

Columbus, OH — Muscle Hill is still undefeated in 2009.

The record-setting horse, who won all 12 of his starts this year, including the Hambletonian and the Breeders Crown, on Monday was announced as the unanimous choice of the U.S. Harness Writers Association as harness racing’s best male 3-year-old trotter.

Award-winners were named in 12 age-based divisions for trotters and pacers. The results of USHWA balloting for Trotter of the Year, Pacer of the Year and Horse of the Year will be revealed at the organization’s annual awards dinner, to be held February 28 at Yonkers Raceway in New York.

Other division winners were 2-year-old male trotter Lucky Chucky, 2-year-old male pacer Sportswriter, 2-year-old filly trotter Poof She’s Gone, 2-year-old filly pacer Fancy Filly, 3-year-old filly trotter Broadway Schooner, 3-year-old male pacer Well Said, 3-year-old filly pacer Yellow Diamond, older male trotter Lucky Jim, older female trotter Buck I St Pat, older male pacer Won The West and older female pacer Southwind Tempo.

Buck I St Pat, Southwind Tempo and Muscle Hill each won a Dan Patch Award previously in their careers.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Muscle Hill was a unanimous choice as the sport’s top 3-year-old trotting male.

Muscle Hill, the top-ranked horse in the year-end Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll, was a unanimous selection in the USHWA voting, being named on all 173 ballots returned. In addition to his stakes triumphs, which also included the Kentucky Futurity, Canadian Trotting Classic and World Trotting Derby, the colt set a record for seasonal earnings by any trotter or pacer of any age by banking $2.45 million this year.

Trained by Greg Peck and driven in all but one start by Brian Sears, Muscle Hill equaled the all-age world record for trotting on a mile track when he won the Hambletonian in 1:50.1 on August 8 at the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey. Peck was named Trainer of the Year and Sears was voted Driver of the Year earlier this month by USHWA.

Muscle Hill, who won 20 of 21 lifetime races and finished his career with a 20-race win streak, has retired to stallion duty at Southwind Farm in New Jersey. He was owned during his racing career by Jerry Silva, TLP Stable, Southwind Farm and Muscle Hill Racing.

Among the other winners, Lucky Jim won 17 of 18 races and also equaled the world record of 1:50.1 when he won the Nat Ray Invitational at the Meadowlands on the same afternoon Muscle Hill captured the Hambletonian. Well Said won 10 of 14 races and joined Precious Bunny as the only horses to win the North America Cup, Meadowlands Pace and Little Brown Jug in the same year. Precious Bunny accomplished the feat in 1991.

2-YEAR-OLD MALE TROTTER OF THE YEAR
Lucky Chucky (94 votes)
Windsong’s Legacy-Aerobics-Muscles Yankee
Breeder: Perretti Farms
Owners: Chuck Sylvester, Neal Goldman, Amy Lynn Stoltzfus
Trainer: Chuck Sylvester Driver: John Campbell
Races: 12-9-2-1 Purses: $667,792 Mark: 1:55.1 at Woodbine
Top wins: $450,000 Valley Victory; $166,800 Matron

2-YEAR OLD FILLY TROTTER OF THE YEAR
Poof She’s Gone (145 votes)
Kadabra-Travelin Superlite-Garland Lobell
Breeder: Tara Hills Stud
Owners: Melvin Hartman, Herb Liverman, David McDuffee, John Fielding
Trainer: Richard Norman Driver: David Miller
Races: 12-10-1-1 Purses: $1.03 million Mark: 1:55.1 at the Meadowlands
Top wins: $600,000 Breeders Crown; $525,800 Merrie Annabelle

3-YEAR OLD MALE TROTTER OF THE YEAR
Muscle Hill (173 votes)
Muscles Yankee-Yankee Blondie-American Winner
Breeder: Winbak Farm
Owners: Jerry Silva, TLP Stable, Southwind Farm, Muscle Hill Racing
Trainer: Greg Peck Driver: Brian Sears
Races: 12-12-0-0 Purses: $2.45 million (record) Mark: 1:50.1 at the Meadowlands (equaled world record)
Top wins: $1.5 million Hambletonian; $930,000 Canadian Trotting Classic

3-YEAR OLD FILLY TROTTER OF THE YEAR
Broadway Schooner (104 votes)
Broadway Hall-Pine Schooner-Pine Chip
Breeders: Arlene Siegel, Jules Siegel
Owners: Arlene Siegel, Jules Siegel
Trainer: Jim Campbell Driver: Brian Sears
Races: 16-7-5-1 Purses: $869,341 Mark: 1:53.3 at the Meadowlands
Top wins: $783,042 Hambletonian Oaks; $600,000 Breeders Crown

OLDER MALE TROTTER OF THE YEAR
Lucky Jim (169 votes)
S J’s Photo-Hawaiian Sierra-Sierra Kosmos
Breeder: Bill Troyer
Owners: David Prushnok, John Prushnok, William Gregg
Trainer: Julie Miller Driver: Andy Miller
Races: 18-17-0-1 Purses: $1.06 million Mark: 1:50.1 at the Meadowlands (equaled world record)
Top wins: $600,000 Breeders Crown; $300,000 Nat Ray

OLDER FEMALE TROTTER OF THE YEAR
Buck I St Pat (150 votes)
Jailhouse Jesse-Name It Something-Speed In Action
Breeder: Ron Fuller
Owners: Howard Taylor, Edwin Gold, Abraham Basen, Ron Fuller
Trainer: Ron Burke Driver: Tim Tetrick
Races: 17-9-2-3 Purses: $400,925 Mark: 1:52 at the Meadowlands
Top wins: $250,000 Breeders Crown; $139,500 Conway Hall

2-YEAR-OLD MALE PACER OF THE YEAR
Sportswriter (136 votes)
Artsplace-Precious Beauty-Jate Lobell
Breeder: James Avritt Sr.
Owners: Steve Calhoun, West Wins Stable
Trainer: Casie Coleman Driver: Mark MacDonald
Races: 8-7-1-0 Purses: $815,680 Mark: 1:49.2 at Mohawk (world record)
Top wins: $920,000 Metro Pace; $148,800 Champlain

2-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACER OF THE YEAR
Fancy Filly (148 votes)
Western Hanover-Fanciful Hanover-Artsplace
Breeders: Emerald Highlands Farm, W. James Sprow III
Owners: George Teague Jr. Inc., Ted Gewertz, Only Money Inc.
Trainer: George Teague Jr. Driver: Brian Sears
Races: 12-10-1-1 Purses: $817,655 Mark: 1:51.1 at Harrah’s Chester (world record)
Top wins: $610,000 Breeders Crown; $500,000 Three Diamonds

3-YEAR-OLD MALE PACER OF THE YEAR
Well Said (163 votes)
Western Hanover-Must See-Artsplace
Breeders: Fair Winds Farm, Steve Jones
Owners: Jeff Snyder, Lothlorien
Trainer: Steve Elliott Driver: Ron Pierce
Races: 14-10-0-1 Purses: $1.98 million Mark: 1:47.3 at the Meadowlands
Top wins: $1.3 million North America Cup; $1 million Meadowlands Pace

3-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACER OF THE YEAR
Yellow Diamond (105 votes)
Western Terror-Mattatonic-Matt’s Scooter
Breeder: Perfect World Enterprises
Owner: Bulletproof Enterprises
Trainer: Tracy Brainard Drivers: Jim Morrill Jr., Tim Tetrick
Races: 22-14-3-4 Purses: $1.31 million Mark: 1:49.4 at Pocono Downs
Top wins: $710,000 Breeders Crown; $250,340 James Lynch Memorial

OLDER MALE PACER OF THE YEAR
Won The West (77 votes)
Western Hanover-Gabrielle-Dragon’s Lair
Breeder: Fair Winds Farm
Owners: Strollin Stable, William Robinson, James Koehler
Trainer: Ron Burke Drivers: Jim Morrill Jr., David Miller, Dave Palone
Races: 22-6-3-4 Purses: $785,415 Mark: 1:47 at the Meadowlands
Top wins: $500,000 Breeders Crown; $322,000 Bobby Quillen Memorial

OLDER FEMALE PACER OF THE YEAR
Southwind Tempo (158 votes)
Bettor’s Delight-Tsunami Hanover-Artsplace
Breeder: Southwind Farm
Owners: Let It Ride Stables, Jerry Silva
Trainers: Ross Croghan, Darren McCall Drivers: Jody Jamieson, Tim Tetrick
Races: 15-7-5-2 Purses: $901,475 Mark: 1:48.3 at Harrah’s Chester (world record)
Top wins: $345,092 Milton; $314,802 Classic