by Paul Ramlow, USTA Internet News Manager

Columbus, OH — Muscle Hill, the 2008 Dan Patch Award winner as the sport’s top freshman trotting colt, made his return to the racetrack this morning at The Meadowlands by capturing a qualifying race in 1:55.4 for driver Brian Sears and trainer Greg Peck.

The son of Muscles Yankee-Yankee Blondie got away third in an opening quarter of :29, was parked out first to the half-mile marker in :58.1, then cleared to the front on the backstretch and put up subsequent fractions of 1:27.1 and 1:55.4. He drew away in the stretch for a 4-1/2 length score over fellow 3-year-old colt Neighsay Hanover, a son of Muscles Yankee-Nan’s Conway, who was piloted by trainer Trond Smedshammer.

Muscle Hill won eight of his nine freshman starts and banked $817,301. His victories included the $700,000 Breeders Crown final, the $500,000 Peter Haughton Memorial final, and the $175,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes final.

Other top Standardbreds that won qualifiers on Thursday included two-time Dan Patch Older Pacer of the Year Mister Big, who won his fourth straight qualifier in a time of 1:52, his fastest effort of the season.

Dial Or Nodial, a multiple stakes winning pacer as a freshman, captured his event in 1:52.3, defeating Breeders Crown champion Well Said by one length.