East Rutherford, NJ (My Sportsbook) - Leading three-year-old trotter Muscle Hill, sent off as the 3-10 favorite, easily defeated nine rivals Saturday to win harness racing's marquee event, the $1.52 million Hambletonian at The Meadowlands. Driven by Brian Sears, the colt equaled the world for the mile at 1:50 1/5.
Muscle Hill, trained by Greg Peck, took the lead at start from the inside post in the ten horse field. Sears never allowed any of the other trotters to seriously challenge his mount.
Racing in second for the mile was Explosive Matter with Symphonic Hanover in third and Triumphant Caviar racing in fourth. Muscle Hill opened up down the stretch from Explosive Matter.
The odds-on favorite posted a six-length victory over Explosive Matter and driver Ron Pierce. Finishing third was Calchips Brute with The Chancellor getting up for fourth.
Rounding out the order of finish for the 84th Hambletonian was Symphonic Hanover, Reinsman Hanover, Judge Joe, Triumphant Caviar, Federal Flex and Hot Shot Blue Chip.
Muscle Hill returned $2.60, $2.10 and $2.10. Explosive Matter paid $3.20 and $2.40, and Calchips Brute paid $6.60 to show.
"Midway around the last turn, I could see Ronny (Pierce) tapping Explosive Matter and I knew what that meant," Peck said. "I know what Muscle Hill is like and when Brian steps on the gas he's like a sports car that just goes into overdrive and does it easily. Before we went on air on NBC, I said I thought he'd go in 1:50 today."
The Hambletonian win gave Sears a sweep of the two major stakes of the day. In the companion $750,000 Hambletonian Oaks for three-year-old filly trotters, Broadway Schooner posted a nose victory over Raising Rachel. Driven by Sears, Broadway Schooner trotted the mile in 1:54.
Sears and trainer Greg Peck also captured the $523,600 Peter Haughton Memorial with Holiday Road earlier in the afternoon. Broadway Schooner is trained by Jim Campbell.
"It's very humbling to win such prestigious races on a day like today," said Sears. "I knew I had the horse this year to get it done and I never had any doubts. This horse has just been waiting for me to call on him. I knew he's been sitting on a big one and he didn't let me down."
Muscle Hill has now won 13 straight starts after losing his career debut. The Hambletonian win was worth $750,000 to brings his career earnings to better than $1.8 million.
Owned by Jerry Silva, TLP Stable, Southwind Farm and Muscle Hill Racing, Muscle Hill was coming off a victory in one of three Hambletonian elimination heats last Saturday. Also winning elimination heats last week were Symphonic Hanover and Explosive Matter.
Muscle Hill is the third consecutive two-year-old champion trotter to capture the sport's most prestigious race. Donato Hanover won in 2007 and Deweycheatumnhowe finished first last year. Those two colts also lost their first career start.
The Hambletonian is the first leg of trotting's Triple Crown, which also includes the Yonkers Trot and Kentucky Futurity. There have been nine Triple Crown winning trotters, the last being Glidemaster in 2006.
