Freshman colt trotters highlight Thursday's ISS action

October 02, 2008

Muscle Hill trotted the fastest of five divisions of the $423,000 International Stallion Stake for 2-year-old colt trotters Thursday afternoon card at The Red Mile with the Peter Haughton Memorial winner scoring in 1:54.3. But there were six ISS winners as the first $84,400 division saw a 1:57 dead-heat finish between Neighsay Hanover and Wuthering Hanover.

Muscle Hill was driven by Brian Sears, who moved the son of Muscles Yankee from third around the final turn to take aim at the leading Victor Blue Chip, driven by Ron Pierce. Trotting a final quarter of :27.4, Muscle Hill easily rushed past to take the lead and go on to his sixth victory in the final $84,400 ISS split. Meyer Winsky finished third for Ray Schnittker.

Trained by Greg Peck, Muscle Hill finished second in his first career start but has now won six straight, including the $500,000 Haughton in late July at the Meadowlands and a Bluegrass split last week at The Red Mile.

A $55,000 yearling purchase from breeder Winbak Farm, Muscle Hill is owned by Jerry Silva and TLP Stable. The ISS win--a career-best clocking--increased his earnings to more than $450,000.

In the first division, Tad The Stud and Ray Schnittker led through quarters of :28.1, :57.1 and 1:27, and opened up a bit of daylight when the pocket-sitting Howthehaloareyou made a break in the final turn. However, he couldn't sustain his lead through the stretch and began to tire. Brian Sears ralllied Neighway Hanover and David Miller did the same with Wuthering Hanover and the two Hanover Shoe Farms-bred trotters reached the wire together. Broadway Spur and Mike Lachance took third.

For Neighsay Hanover the win was his first in five starts. Trond Smedshammer trains the son of Muscles Yankee for owners Ted Gewertz, Willow Pond LLC, Leif Alber and Martha Frank. Wuthering Hanover, a sn of Andover Hall, scored for the second time in six starts for trainer Jonas Czernyson and owner Robert Rosenheim Stables.

The second $84,400 ISS split went to Swan For All, who edged out Tom Cango in 1:55.4, with Select Yankee third. Andy Miller took the early lead with Swan For All through a quarter in :28.4 and :59.2 half, but then yielded to the John Campbell-driven Tom Cango at the 1:28.1 three-quarters. Swan For All then rallied back in the stretch to hand Tom Cango his first-ever defeat in six starts.

"He's not a front-end horse; he gets a little lazy and lost," trainer Erv Miller said moments after his brother, Andy Miller, directed the son of Andover Hall to his fourth win in five starts.

Swan For All was a $300,000 yearling purchase by John Carver and Mystical Marker Farms. Diamond Creek Farm recently purchased an interest in the Andover Hall colt who is a half brother to the $448,000-winning two-time New Jersey Sire Stakes champion Magic Swan.

NF Quotable, who was just a $3,000 yearling purchase, posted a game 1:56.1 victory in the third $84,400 ISS split for driver David Miller, trainer Kelly O'Donnell and owners Dan and Tom Courtemanche of Michigan.

Miller moved NF Quotable to the top at the three-eighths, taking over from the Ron Pierce-driven Syrinxian after he took the field to the quarter in :29.1. NF Quotable reached the half in :57.4 and 1:27.2 three-quarters. Pierce angled Syrinxian back to the outside turning for home and D.R. Ackerman followed from third with Judge Joe.

Syrinxian failed to gain on the leading NF Quotable but Judge Joe was charging. However, NF Quotable stayed strong to the wire and put away his rival. Syrinxian held for third.

"He's no quitter," said Dan Courtemanche of NF Quotable as he headed toward the winner's circle.

"He's just been a great little colt from day one," said O'Donnell of the recent Pennsylvania Sire Stakes runner-up. "He's got a big heart for a little horse."

The time was a career best for NF Quotable, who scored for the third time in nine starts. The son of Tom Ridge came into the race in the shadow of $100,000 in earnings and he is now over the $141,000 mark with the win.

Braggart, who beat NF Quotable in the PASS championship, wore down the leading Encore Encore in deep stretch to win the fourth $85,400 ISS division in 1:55.4. Driven by David Miller, Braggart needed nearly the entire length of The Red Mile stretch before edging past the Tim Tetrick-driven Encore Encore in the shadow of the wire to win by three-quarters of a length. Triumphant Caviar and Andy Miller finished third.

The win was the fourth straight for Braggart, a son of Broadway Hall out of the mare Delphi's Daughter, she the winner of the Breeders Crown and the 1994 Kentucky Filly Futurity at The Red Mile. The $80,000 yearling purchase is owned by Joe Sbrocco and William Donovan and trained by Jim Arledge Jr. The career-best victory boosted his earnings to more than $176,000.

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