by Ellen Harvey, Harness Racing Communications

Du Quoin, IL — Wuthering Hanover has post eight at odds of 15-1 in Saturday’s (Sept. 5) $540,000 World Trotting Derby. Trainer Jonas Czernyson says to disregard the Reynolds Stake winner’s less-than-impressive last start when he finished 10th after a break early in an overnight race at The Red Mile on August 24.

“He just took a bad step. He came out of it really good and he trained really good the other day,” says Czernyson. “Everything looks good. He likes The Red Mile, so I’m hoping he’s going to like it even better out there (Du Quoin). He’s a little up and down, and right now it looks like he’s on his up swing, so hopefully we can do some good out there on Saturday.”

Southwind Tager subs for stablemate Dr McDreamy

Homer Hochstetler hoped to race Dr McDreamy in Saturday’s $540,000 World Trotting Derby, but instead will send out stablemate Southwind Tagar. Last week, Dr McDreamy was seventh in the $200,000 American-National at Balmoral Park, giving him just his second finish worse than second in a span of 11 races.

Dr McDreamy’s performance might have been the result of a race at Springfield on August 20, where he finished second to Southern Rocketop over a track labeled “good” in the Illinois State Fair Championship.

USTA photo

Homer Hochstetler will start Southwind Tagar in the World Trotting Derby.

“I probably should have pulled his shoes; I think I sored him up a little bit,” Hochstetler said. “I didn’t think he went a very good race at all (in the American-National). He struggled in the turns. I gave him a week off, but I wanted to have him in there (at Du Quoin).”

Instead, Southwind Tagar will carry the banner for the Hochstetler Stable. Southwind Tagar went off stride in the American-National, but was second in a $55,000 division of the Oliver Trotting Classic at Indiana Downs in his previous start. The colt is owned by Hochstetler, Richard Keys and Robert Buddig. He has won four of 21 races in his career and earned $75,630.

“He’s just a nice little horse,” said Hochstetler, who will drive Southwind Tagar and start from post one. “Sometimes he goes pretty good and sometimes not so good, but that’s (like) a lot of horses. He’s a nice little horse to be around. I guess he is what he is. We got a good draw, so maybe we can get part of it.

“I had three eligible and he happened to be the lucky one that’s going to race. Or maybe he’s the unlucky one.”

Unlucky because of the presence of Muscle Hill, the No. 1-ranked harness racing horse in North America and owner of a 14-race win streak. Last week, Muscle Hill won the American-National in 1:52.3, setting a track record. On August 8, the colt won the Hambletonian with a world-record-equaling 1:50.1 triumph.

“He’s in a league of his own,” Hochstetler said. “He’s like rolling a ball downhill, and just keeps going. He’s pretty awesome. If you stand and look at him, you’re not awestruck just looking at him. But when he goes by, you better be ready to look, because he’s gone. He’s as good as they come.”

Photoforwin? Or maybe place

Rick Beinhauer, who trains and drives World Trotting Derby contender Photoforwin, is friends with the owners of Muscle Hill and got to join them for the colt’s Hambletonian victory earlier this month. It was good Beinhauer got a look at Muscle Hill then, because he is not sure what kind of view he will get Saturday.

“He’s something to watch. He has a flawless gait and covers the ground so effortlessly,” Beinhauer said, adding with a laugh, “I don’t think I’ll get a chance to look at his head very much. Maybe going out of the starting gate, but that’s it.”

New Image Media photo

Photoforwin has six wins in 30 career races and $356,799 in purses.

Photoforwin will start from post four in the World Trotting Derby, which features Muscle Hill. Photoforwin is coming off a third-place finish in a $55,000 division of the Oliver Trotting Classic at Indiana Downs. In July, he won the $100,000 William C. Connors Memorial at Hazel Park. The gelding went off stride in the $500,000 Colonial and the $181,369 Dexter Cup. For the year, Photoforwin has four wins and $155,680 in earnings.

“He’s missed some opportunities, but it’s certainly been a decent year,” said Beinhauer, who bred and owns Photoforwin with his wife, Regina. “It could have been a lot better, but it is what it is. He never makes breaks. In both cases those tracks were really deep and loose. Other horses get over it, but it doesn’t suit him. It’s one of those things.”

Last year, the colt was second in the $478,113 William Wellwood Memorial and second in a $98,000 division of the Bluegrass Stakes. He has six wins in 30 career races and $356,799 in purses.

Beinhauer is no stranger to Du Quoin. He won a heat of the 1992 World Trotting Derby with Sierra Kosmos, who eventually finished third.

“I don’t know if (Photoforwin) is as good as Sierra was at the time, but he’ll be competitive, I hope,” Beinhauer said. “There’s still a lot of money to give away beside first-place money. We’ll need some luck and a good performance. (Muscle Hill) has been so dominant. He’d have to make a mistake. But you never know. It’s a horse race.”

Taylor hoping for smooth road for ‘Rocketop’

Southern Rocketop led Muscle Hill for three-quarters of last week’s American-National at Balmoral Park; it was the final quarter-mile that was the problem.

Muscle Hill trailed Southern Rocketop by 4-1/4 lengths at the three-quarter mark, but was 1-1/2 lengths in front by the top of the stretch and defeated Cruisealong and Southern Rocketop by 7-3/4 lengths in a track-record 1:52.3.

Balmoral Park photo

Southern Rocketop has won seven times in 2009, with season’s earnings of $158,806.

“When we hit the three-quarters, I thought it was setting up well,” said a chuckling Robert Taylor, who trains Southern Rocketop. “Being realistic, Muscle Hill is the best 3-year-old trotter there is, but I was looking to be at least a strong second to him. He’s an awesome horse. He is one of a kind, I believe.”

Dave Magee, who drove Southern Rocketop in the American-National, noted with a laugh that even though Muscle Hill went by him in the final turn, “he was never actually next to me.”

Southern Rocketop’s final quarter-mile was :29.3 last week. Only four times in his 25-race career has he come home with a slower final quarter, and in two of those races he went off stride.

“He had to deal with a little sickness issue in his last race, so hopefully we’ve gotten that straightened out a little bit better,” Taylor said. “He didn’t race bad in the American-National, but he was a little short on the end of it. Hopefully we can make a good showing on Saturday.”

Southern Rocketop will start from post five in the World Trotting Derby with driver Dave Magee. The gelding, owned by Tennessee’s Claude Powers, has won 16 of 25 lifetime races and earned $310,911. He was a world-record setter as a 2-year-old and established numerous track records in Chicago.

He went off stride in his only two previous starts at Du Quoin, each last year.

“He’s been real good-gaited this year and getting over different tracks just fine,” said Taylor, who took over training the horse this season. “I think he’ll be OK at Du Quoin. I don’t think it will be an issue. I think he’s coming into this (race) all right.”

Taylor also trains Filly World Trotting Derby contender Miss Vickie, who will start from post one with driver Brandon Simpson in Friday’s $130,000 event. Favorite Southwind Wasabi is in post three.

Miss Vickie was third in last weekend’s American-National for fillies. Last season, she won the $133,000 Lady Lincoln Land.

“She’s in with a good group (Friday), but I think she can make a good showing,” said Taylor, who co-owns the horse with Kevin Dixon. “Being with open company, being an Illinois-bred, I think will be good for her. She was real good last year. We took her to Mohawk (earlier this year) and she got sick up there. But she’s doing better than she had been six to eight weeks ago.”