Muscle Hill solidifies role of Hambo favorite with elim victory

August 02, 2009

Muscle Hill breezed to his 12th straight victory in the last of three $70,000 eliminations for the Hambletonian on Saturday night at the Meadowlands, with Explosive Matter and Symphonic Hanover winner the other two elims. With his victory, Muscle Hill is the overwhelming favorite heading into the $1.5 million Hambletonian, harness racing�s most prestigious event, on Saturday, Aug. 8.

Driver Brian Sears floated Muscle Hill ($2.20) fifth off the gate and bided his time until picking up cover behind Triumphant Caviar at the half. Sears angled Muscle Hill three wide on the final turn and he drew off to a 2 3-4 length victory over Triumphant Caviar [$9.60] in 1:52.3. The Chancellor held third after carving the fractions in the ninth race tilt.

The top three finishers in each elimination, plus the fourth-place finisher (Federal Flex) with the highest overall earnings, advanced to the final.

�He was always good at (racing off the pace) last year,� Sears said. �After last week, leaving hard from the rail and being aggressive early, I was glad to remind him that we can race off the pace and he did it well. I didn�t want anything silly to happen and just eased my way around the first turn. I thought Explosive Matter was very good tonight. It�s going to be a horse race (next week), there�s no doubt.�

Muscle Hill, trained by Greg Peck, is undefeated in four starts this season. The 2008 2-year-old trotting colt of the year counts the $185,250 Stanley Dancer Memorial and $200,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Championship among those wins. The son of 1998 Hambletonian winner Muscles Yankee is vying to become the third freshman Dan Patch champion in as many years to win the Hambletonian. Donato Hanover (2007) and Deweycheatumnhowe (2008) were able to duplicate their freshman success and win the Hambletonian on their way to Trotter of the Year honors. Muscle Hill is owned by Jerry Silva of Long Beach, NY.; TLP Stable of Kearny, N.J.; Southwind Farm of Pennington, N.J.; and Muscle Hill Racing of Long Beach, N.J.

A shipping accident yesterday did not shake Explosive Matter�s confidence.

The colt won the first of the three Hambletonian eliminations under wraps in a career best 1:52.3. Driver Ron Pierce carefully settled Explosive Matter ($2.60) into fifth off the gate before sending him up to clear the lead from Citation Lindy before the half. Explosive Matter opened up on the final turn and held off Hot Shot Blue Chip by 1 1/2 lengths. Reinsman Hanover was a distanced third.

Explosive Matter, trained by Noel Daley, was returning home from a training session in the pool Friday morning when his trailer encountered another vehicle on a narrow country road and overturned. The colt, who was traveling with his caretaker Emma Pettersson, came out of the accident with just minor scrapes.

�Yesterday he spent an hour in a ditch in the trailer,� Daley said. �The trailer went off the road and the horse went down. We couldn�t get him out for about an hour, but he came out of it pretty good. He was pretty hot when he came out of there, it was a pretty warm day, but he was pretty relaxed. He ate up (all his food) last night and this morning. We gave him a jog this morning to make sure everything was all right and he seemed pretty good.�

Explosive Matter, bred and owned by Adam Victor & Son Stable of New York, N.Y., improved his record to three wins in five starts this season. The son of Cantab Hall was one of the top colts of his freshman class last year, winning six of eight starts and $363,415.

Symphonic Hanover ($33.30) and driver David Miller pulled off the upset in the second of the eliminations with a game first-over effort.

Symphonic Hanover sat fourth as Federal Flex, the 1-5 favorite, crossed over to take the lead from Judge Joe in a :56.2 half before angling off the pylons. He reached the wheel of the leader on the final turn and drew off to three-length margin over Judge Joe 1:54.1. Calchips Brute completed a $2,631 trifecta. Federal Flex�s $730,000 bankroll advanced him to the final as the top fourth-place money earner.

Symphonic Hanover has now won three of five starts this season for trainer Jonas Czernyson, who also qualified Hot Shot Blue Chip for the Hambletonian final. The son of Cantab Hall was a $65,000 yearling purchase by the Symphonic Hanover Stable of Delray Beach, Fla. (Meadowlands)

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