Draw complete for Hambletonian

The field is set for the $1,520,333 Hambletonian, which will be contested at the Meadowlands Saturday afternoon and carried live on NBC. The three elimination winners selected their post positions, but interestingly trainer Jonas Czernyson, who had the first choice with Symphonic Hanover, deferred to the other two elim winners. Explosive Matter was up next, and trainer Noel Daley chose post two, followed by Muscle Hill's connections taking post one--"Still the shortest way around the track," said trainer Greg Peck--and Czernyson then chose post three.

After the draw, Peck and driver Brian Sears talked about Muscle Hill and approaching Hambletonian. “He’ll have an ordinary week,” said Peck. “ I have kind of trained him like a Thoroughbred where I go easy miles because we’ve spaced his races out  but every now and then I have incorporated some speed work. Racing is a sport. It’s different from movies in that you don’t know if in the end the hero is going to get the girl. There are colts who demand respect in there and we won’t know the ending until it happens. We are not taking it lightly.”

Despite being perennially near the top of the national driver standings, Brian Sears is looking for his first Hambletonian win and hopes that he’ll find it with Muscle Hill. “Muscle Hill has certainly done everything pretty easily to this point,” said Sears. “He waits for me to call on him, but these are a nice bunch of colts and it’s not over until it’s over. I hope we haven’t seen the best of him and I hope he is the kind of horse who can bring me a triple crown."

This year's Hambletonian will be worth $1.5 million, making it the richest harness race since the 1987 Woodrow Wilson.

1—Muscle Hill (Greg Peck/Brian Sears)--3-5

2—Explosive Matter (Noel Daley/Ron Pierce)--5-1

3—Symphonic Hanover (Jonas Czernyson/David Miller)--8-1

4—Hot Shot Blue Chip (Jonas Czernyson/Michel Lachance)--10-1

5—Triumphant Caviar (Chris Beaver/Luc Ouellette)--15-1

6—Calchips Brute (Trond Smedshammer/John Campbell)--30-1

7—Reinsman Hanover (Trond Smedshammer/Tim Tetrick)--30-1

8—The Chancellor (Julie Miller/Andy Miller)--30-1

9—Federal Flex (Jeff Gillis/Jody Jamieson)--8-1

10—Judge Joe (Doug Ackerman/D.R. Ackerman)--15-1

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