Muscle Mass still perfect with Bluegrass win

September 27, 2007

Mother Nature took care of any chance world champion Muscle Mass had of possibly even bettering his mark Thursday afternoon at The Red Mile, but the son of Muscles Yankee still was able to capture his $91,000 Bluegrass division for 2-year-old colt trotters.

With rain intermittent throughout the early afternoon, the skies opened up just as the starting gate began to move down the stretch for the start of the third of the five divisions. Muscle Mass was sent to the front by driver Dave Palone and the conditions made it difficult for anybody to make a full-fledged challenge. The first to tip to the outside was Waterstone, driven by David Miller, who began his move from fourth around the final turn. But that bid flattened out down the stretch and it was Celebrity Secret, closing up the inside for driver Brian Sears, who made it close at the wire.

Muscle Mass just held on in 1:57.3, four full seconds off his world-record effort at Springfield last month. Finishing third was the George Brennan-driven Manhattan while Waterstone held for fourth.

Trained by Erv Miller, Muscle Mass is now a perfect five-for-five in his young career. He is owned by Perretti Racing Stable and Black Horse Racing.

Under partly sunny skies four races later the final $92,000 Bluegrass division went behind the gate and Deweycheatumnhowe kept his perfect record intact with his fifth straight victory, trotting the mile in 1:55.3 for trainer-driver Ray Schnittker. Di Manggio was second for George Brennan with Our Bugatti and Trace Tetrick third.

Deweycheatumnhowe won his Harriman Cup division in his debut in late June for Schnittker, and then the son of Muscles Yankee swept through the New Jersey Sire Stakes, including winnng the $175,000 final July 18 at the Meadowlands in 1:57. After that start the colt got a two-month break as well as a group of new owners as Schnittker sold interests in him to Ted Gewertz, Charles Iannazzo and the newly-formed Deweycheatumnhowe Stable of Alan Leavitt, Walnut Hall Ltd. and Frank Baldassare.

The first $91,000 Bluegrass split of the day got off to a rocky start when a a horse hit the starting gate and the the far outside wing would not close, so starter Greg Coon brought out the back-up starting car to get the race underway.

Surtees Hanover and driver David Miller fired to the front and never looked back, crossing the wire first in a career-best 1:56 over a track that was still rated "fast" at the time. Closer Hanover was second for Ron Pierce and Credit AS took third for Trace Tetrick.

"(The recall) got him keyed up. He went in there the first time just the way I wanted him, and the second time he went in there way too aggressive. But that's only natural," said Miller. "I really didn't want to put him on the leave though. But he had got wound up."

Trained by Jonas Czernyson, Surtees Hanover won for the seventh time in nine starts. The son of Andover Hall, who is owned by Robert Rosenheim, was the runner-up in the Peter Haughton Memorial at the Meadowlands in early August. He now has career earnings of more than $317,000.

In the second $91,000 division, driver George Brennan got away second with Skad's Winner from post one, yielded to favored Deliberate by the first quarter, and then slipped back up the inside in deep stretch to post a 1:57.3 victory. Lancer Springs charged late on the outside for John Campbell but had to settle for second, with Stolen Identity taking third for Steve Smith.

Trained by Joe Holloway, Skad's Winner is a son of Broadway Hall. He is owned by Cunningham, Arak, Russell, Agins and Bluestone Farms. The victory was his second in seven starts and a new career best.

The rain had stopped by the time the fourth $92,000 division went postward and it was Yankee Matthew who made it to the winner's circle after a 1:58 effort for driver Dave Palone. It was the third straight victory for the son of Muscles Yankee who bested Viking Defender and driver Trond Smedshammer with Floyd R Turbo third for David Miller.

Mark Harder trains Yankee Matthew and shares ownership with Scott Kurzrok and Stable 45. All five of his career starts have come at The Red Mile.

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