Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — The most highly regarded 3-year-old trotters in harness racing — Muscle Hill and Explosive Matter — are on course for a Hambletonian rematch in the C$1 million Canadian Trotting Classic at Mohawk Racetrack. On August 8, Muscle Hill won the $1.5 million Hambletonian by six lengths over Explosive Matter, stopping the clock in a world-record-equaling 1:50.1.

While Muscle Hill spent the past two weekends extending his unbeaten streak to 15 races by winning the $540,000 World Trotting Derby and the $200,000 American-National Stakes, both in Illinois, Explosive Matter was resting.

Explosive Matter last competed August 16 at Harrah’s Chester Casino and Racetrack, capturing the $500,000 Colonial by 2-1/2 lengths over The Chancellor in 1:53. The time was the fastest in history for a 3-year-old trotter on a five-eighths-mile track.

“Everything has been good with him,” said Noel Daley, who trains Explosive Matter. “He doesn’t need a lot of racing. He’s pretty good like that. He’s been home, swimming and training. He won’t be a hundred percent wound up, but he’s done enough racing.

“There are too many races coming up. I didn’t want him up in Canada three weeks in a row and then go to Kentucky and then back to Canada again. I think it’s a little tough to do.”

Muscle Hill, who has not lost a race since finishing second in his career debut, is the No. 1-rated harness racing horse in the sport’s current Top 10 poll. Explosive Matter is the only other 3-year-old trotter on the list, at No. 10. The two drew into separate Canadian Trotting Classic eliminations, from which the top five finishers will advance to the final on September 19.

Lisa photo

Explosive Matter will start from the rail in his Canadian Trotting Classic elimination.

Prior to his time off, Explosive Matter raced six times in eight weekends. He won a division of the Historic-Dickerson Cup on July 3 and was second, despite going off stride, to Muscle Hill in a division of the Stanley Dancer Memorial on July 17. Two weeks later, he won his Hambletonian elimination despite being involved in a truck accident two days prior to the race.

“Realistically, he’s got to step up,” Daley said about potentially challenging Muscle Hill again. “I know (Explosive Matter) wasn’t a hundred percent in the Hambletonian after the week he’d had. But even if he was a hundred percent, we weren’t beating Muscle Hill the way he went that day.”

Following the Canadian Trotting Classic, the next major event for the 3-year-old trotters is the $700,000 Kentucky Futurity on October 3 at the Red Mile in Lexington.

“If we have a good couple weeks, (the time off) might be an advantage for us,” Daley said.

Explosive Matter will start from post No. 1 in his Canadian Trotting Classic elim. The rest of the field is Neighsay Hanover, PJ Clark, Winning Mister, Judge Joe, Southern Rocketop, Senator Hall, Hot Shot Blue Chip, and Airzoom Lindy.

Judge Joe won the $670,774 Yonkers Trot on August 29 at Yonkers Raceway while Neighsay Hanover is coming off a victory in a division of last weekend’s Simcoe Stakes for 3-year-old trotters at Mohawk. Southern Rocketop was second to Muscle Hill in last weekend’s World Trotting Derby at the Du Quoin State Fair in Illinois.

Muscle Hill will start from post No. 9 in his elim and faces Reinsman Hanover, Truth In Action, Tom Cango, Howd That Feel, Duded Up, Cesar A Blue Chip, Photoforwin, and Select Yankee.

Last weekend, Muscle Hill endured a six-hour delay at Du Quoin as the track crew worked tirelessly to get the facility’s clay surface into racing shape following persistent rain. Because of the delay, regular driver Brian Sears was unavailable due to commitments in Canada, so trainer Greg Peck turned over Muscle Hill to Aussie native Luke McCarthy. None of it mattered to Muscle Hill, who won the World Trotting Derby by one length in 1:52.3.

“He looked super,” Peck said. “He’s kind of spoiled us; he usually wins by the large margins. But Luke did the right thing. He wanted to get around there as uneventful as possible. That’s what he did.”

Cool Hand Luke: When a friend called Luke McCarthy last weekend and asked if he was available to drive superstar trotter Muscle Hill in the World Trotting Derby at the Du Quoin State Fair in Illinois, he thought it was a joke.

“Definitely,” the 26-year-old McCarthy said. “I thought he was playing a trick on me. But then he sounded quite serious. The next thing, Greg Peck called me.”

USTA/Ellen Harvey photo

Luke McCarthy (right) along with Greg Peck and Joe Hanney after Muscle Hill won the World Trotting Derby.

Peck is the trainer of Muscle Hill, who earlier this year won the Hambletonian and is on a 15-race win streak. Peck needed a driver because Brian Sears, who regularly pilots Muscle Hill, was unavailable following a lengthy weather delay at Du Quoin. So at the suggestion of Joe Hanney, Peck turned to McCarthy, whose brother Andrew drove Muscle Hill several times last season.

McCarthy drove four hours from Lexington to get to Du Quoin.

“If they had asked me to just qualify Muscle Hill, I would have driven to Du Quoin,” McCarthy said. “To sit behind a world champion, I don’t know if it will ever happen again. To drive Muscle Hill, that’s something else. I’m just lucky I had the chance. I’m grateful to everyone involved for the chance.”

McCarthy is a native of Australia who has won several of his country’s biggest stakes. He arrived in the U.S. earlier this year and has made 153 starts as a driver. His most lucrative purse victory in the States prior to the World Trotting Derby was $15,000.

He guided Muscle Hill to a one-length victory over Southern Rocketop in 1:52.3 at Du Quoin.

“I just wanted to make sure I got the job done and got him around safely,” McCarthy said. “I was nervous, but I never doubted my ability. As soon as we got on the track, all my nerves were gone and you just do your job. (Muscle Hill) gives you confidence. He trots perfectly. He’s just like driving a motor car.”

The win with Muscle Hill was McCarthy’s second of the week with a Hambletonian finalist. Two days earlier, McCarthy drove Hot Shot Blue Chip, who went off stride in the Hambletonian and finished last, to victory in a race at the Red Mile.