by John Pawlak, the U.S. Trotting Association

Columbus, OH — Jerry Silva, Muscle Hill Racing, T L P Stable and Southwind Farm’s Muscle Hill won two more major stakes in October, the Kentucky Futurity and Breeders Crown, which brought his marvelous career to an end on the crest of a 20-race win streak — punctuated with his being named Horse of the Month for October by the U.S. Trotting Association.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Muscle Hill closed out his brilliant career with a 1:54.1 score in the Breeders Crown.

“Dominant” has been the word most often used to describe the Greg Peck-trained and Brian Sears-driven Muscle Hill, who began the month just ended by sweeping to victory in the $600,000 Kentucky Futurity, winning heats timed in 1:52.3 and 1:51.1, which gave him victories in two legs of the Trotting Triple Crown — after having won the $1.5 million Hambletonian earlier this year.

The month and a great racing career came to a resounding crescendo when Muscle Hill easily repelled all comers in the $600,000 Breeders Crown, timed in 1:54.1 at Toronto’s Woodbine Racetrack.

Muscle Hill was recently shipped to Southwind Farms in New Jersey, where he will join the stallion ranks. The occasion was marked by some reflecting by Peck, who described the retirement of his champion trotter as “bittersweet.”

“No doubt about it. He was so fresh finishing (his career),” Peck said. “When I warmed him up (for the Breeders Crown), I said to Bob Stewart, who’s a partner and shareholder and had a lot of great trotters, he feels like it’s May or June, he was so fresh. If you look at his overall condition, he was as good — or better — than ever. You just wish there was a race or two more, but there isn’t.”

Most assuredly a sentiment shared by everyone who enjoyed watching Muscle Hill’s brilliant trotting career.