Greatest trotting stallion on earth – Muscle Hill

Harness racing stallion Muscle Hill has been a sensation from the time he set foot on the race track. He continues to break record after record and with the 2018 yearling sales complete in North America, you have to wonder what more can a stallion do?

At the 2018 Lexington Selected Yearling Sales there was 48 yearlings sold by Muscle Hill for an average of $121,000 for a total of $5,808,000. At the Harrisburg Sales 16 yearlings by Muscle Hill sold for an average of $178,938 for a total of $2,863,008.

A total of 64 yearlings by Muscle Hill sold for a total of $8,671,008 with an average of $135,484 over the two sales.

From his first five crops to the races three-year-olds and over Muscle Hill has produced 259 winners from 439 foals eligible, nine millionaires, thirteen with earnings of more than $750,000, twenty-one $500,000 plus winners, thirty-three $250,000 winners, ninety-eight $100,000 plus winners with 56 trotting in 1:53 or better and with total earnings of $47,334,500 to date.

That works out to be $107,823 average earnings for all foals eligible to race. This is a stunning record that will be very hard to surpass.

Muscle Hill is probably the greatest producing stallion in history.

With only those five crops racing he has already produced stallions, Trixton and E L Titan that are already proven producers of two-year-olds in 2018.

Muscle Hill is the pinnacle of breeding, a trotting sire that has it all, a great race record, a great siring record and this is all with just the five crops three-year-old and older racing.

God knows where Muscle Hill will end up with many crops to come. He is still a very young stallion, just 12 years old.

Muscle Hill is fully booked out every year in North America and to be able to buy a breeding to this champion stallion you have to pay at least US$40 to US$50,000 if you are lucky enough to find one that is available to buy.

New Zealand and Australian buyers have an great chance of buying a Muscle Hill yearling at the inaugural New Zealand National Yearling Sale at Karaka in February 2019, it is a chance of a life time for serious trotting buyers. 

In the Breckon Farms draft there are four outstanding, brilliantly bred Muscle Hill colts for sale by this amazing sire. They are the only colts for sale by Muscle Hill in the entire New Zealand sales this coming year.

Lot 53 – Doosie Doo

Doosie Do is from the race winning Love You mare Love Ya Doosie ( 2 wins, $12,375)  who is a half-sister to champion trotter, nine time Group 1 winner and 4yo Trotter of the Year, Trotter of the Year (twice), Harness Horse of the Year and Australian Trotter of the Year I Can Doosit  (T, 1.55.5; 36 wins, $1,445,774,), Group 3 winner and Group 2 placed Sno’s Big Boy (15 wins, $215,309),  Heezadoo Early ( 5 wins, $46,866) and Yankeedoosie ((4 wins, $43,999). Doosie Do’s second dam is the broodmare gem and dual Broodmare of the Year Sheezadoosie (7 wins, $48,632) who is the dam of 6 foals to race, 6 winners and the grand-dam of the promising Forget The Price Tag, two wins & t placings from just 6 starts to date.

Lot 80 – Regal Attire

Regal Attire is out of the Malabar Man broodmare gem Regal Volo (5 wins, $25,231), the dam of five foals to race for five winners, including four black type performers. This colt is a three-quarter brother in blood to four time Group 1 and Group 2 and 3 winner, Breeders Crown 2yof Trot Final winner, New Zealand and Australian two-year-old and three-year-old Trotting Filly of the Year, who set a New Zealand record High Gait (16 wins, $342,474) and two time Group 1 and three time Group 2 winner, double Breeders Crown Champion and Australian 3yo Trotter of the Year (Our) Twentyten (17 wins, $337,666), and a half-brother to Alannah Hall (6 wins, $38,928), three time Group 1 and Group 2 placed (Our) Regal Love ( 3 wins, $58,192) and a full-brother to Group 2 placed Girls On Film (3 wins, $32,708). The second dam of Regal Attire is Royal Jewel (12 wins, $218,343) is the dam of four winners including Winning Crystal (15 wins, $63,228) and One Chip (4 wins $8581), exported to Italy and dam of Il Capo Atc ( Italy winner l/e e43,187) and the family of Diamond Goal (T.3, 1.53.2m, 17 wins, $586,074).

Lot 127 – Mr Muscle

Mr Muscle is the first foal from the black type race winning Angus Hall mare Alannah ( 6 wins, $38,928) who is a half-sister to two time Group 1 and three time Group 2 winner, double Breeders Crown Champion and Australian three-year-old Trotter of the Year (Our) Twentyten (17 wins, $337,666)  four time Group 1 and Group 2 and 3 winner, Breeders Crown 2yof Trot Final winner, New Zealand and Australian two-year-old and three-year-old Trotting Filly of the Year, who set a NZ Record, High Gait (16 wins, $342,474, three time Group 1 and Group 2 placed (Our) Regal Love (3 wins, $58,192) and Group 2 placed Girls On Film (3 wins, $32,708). The second dam of Mr Muscle is the Malabar Man broodmare gem Regal Love (5 wins, $31,190), the dam of five foals to race for five winners including four black type performers.

Lot 137 – I See Fire

I See Fire is a  three-quarter brother in blood to Group 3 placed Sertorius (5 wins, $59,198) and a half-brother to Popcorn Sutton (1 win, $8,480), from a half-sister to five winners including Group 3 winner and two time Group 1 placed Sunny Elegant (14 wins $102,331). The second dam of I See Fire is the two time Group 1 winner, Rowe Cup, Dominion and the New Zealand National Trot winner and 4yo Trotting Mare of the Year, Trotter of the Year and Harness Horse of the Year Merinai (19 wins, $244,155) who is the dam of six foals to race for six winners.

For the record here is an up date on Muscle Hill's Pedigree

The first dam of Muscle Hill is the race winning daughter of the American Winner mare Yankee Blondie. Yankee Blondie was a minor winner of just $8,434 with a three-year-old record of 1:59.4f.

Yankee Blondie is the dam of nine foals, for six winners. They are Muscle Hill 1:50.1 ($3,318,682), Diesel Don 1:55.3 ($247,117) who was exported to Finland, Manfromnantucket 1:57 ($152,857), Upfront Yankee 1:56.2 ($40,623), Winbak Blondie 1:57.4 ($16,545) and Eddiction ($14,420) who was exported to Sweden.

Yankee Blondie is also the dam of the unraced Pine Chip mare Mets Rival who has produced five winners to date. They are Mets Inn 1:56.4 ($200,313) who is the dam of sensational 2018 three-year-old Mets Hall 1:51.2m ($1,349,176) and Mets Life ($31,880), Commando Queen ($124,941) dam of Order By Commander 1:55.1s ($184,763) and Winbak Maya 1:55.4 ($31,730) dam of three winners to date including a 2018 two-year-old

The second dam of Muscle Hill is the Hickory Pride mare Yankee Bambi. From 16 foals she has produced 11 winners including the Speedy Crown stallion T V Yankee 1:56 ($572,024). T V Yankee is the sire of 136 race winners of $6,084,358 to date.

Yankee Bambi is also the dam of the following good winners Yankee Yankee ($272,638), Yankee Bravado ($158,552), N Y Yankee ($125,080), Yankee Pinstripe ($73,799) and Elegant Yankee ($39,366). The last mentioned Elegant Yankee is the dam of Friendly Lover ($36,566) who has produced the good horse Good Friend 1:54.4f ($322,108)

Yankee Bambi has left three unraced daughters that have produced well. They are Yankee Meme, who is the grand dam of Yankee Becall 1:57.1f ($106,328) who was exported to Sweden, Yankee Kitten who was also exported to Sweden left Kentucky Yankee 1:55.3 ($181,478) and Bashful Yankee who is the dam of Bamboo Yankee 1:54.2f ($379,797) and Yankee Benson 1:58f ($57,931)

The third dam of Muscle Hill is the outstanding producer Yankee Duchess who was by Duke Of Lullwater. Yankee Duchess left 17 foals, 8 of those were winners. But it was not the winners that have made Yankee Duchess prolific. It was the three great mares by Hickory Pride that she left. Yankee Duchess produced five daughters by Hickory Pride and three of those daughters have become the grand dams of three super sires.

Those three daughters of Yankee Duchess are Yankee Bambi, Yankee Scottie and Yankee Flight.

Yankee Bambi, as detailed above is the grand-dam of Muscle Hill T,3, 1:50.1 ($3,266,835). Yankee Scottie is the grand-dam of Windsongs Legacy 1:53 ($1,921,088) and Yankee Flight is the grand-dam of Yankee Glide 1:55.1 ($506,904)

It is interesting to note that these three mares and Yankee Duchess the dam of the three mares, have all produced between 15 and 17 foals each.

Muscle Hill was from the third daughter of Yankee Bambi. Windsongs Legacy was from the eighth daughter of Yankee Scottie and Yankee Glide was foal number twelve from a daughter of Yankee Flight.

Windsongs Legacy 1:53 ($1,921,088) was by Conway Hall and was the first foal of his dam Yankee Windsong. She left four foals for four winners. Windsongs Legacy bred 250 foals from just four crops before his untimely death but still produced 108 winners of $16,777,363. His progeny have averaged $67,109 per live foal and $109,656 per starter. Windsongs Legacy has produced two outstanding sons in Lucky Chucky 1:50.4 ($2,119,958) born in 2007 and Chapter Seven 1:50.1 ($1,952,853) born in 2008. Lucky Chucky has 120 race winners to date with earnings of $8,611,933 and Chapter Seven has become a siring sensation in 2018 with siring the top two-year-old colt and filly and also siring the 2018 Hambletonian winning filly Atlanta 1:50.3 ($1,171,477)

Yankee Glide 1:55.1 ($506,904) was by the immortal Valley Victory and was the seventh of thirteen foals of his dam Gratis Yankee and he was the only one of any note. He was a great winner himself but his real claim to fame is his progeny. He has become a great sire. Yankee Glide has produced 1,419 foals eligible to race, 1036 raced, 737 winners of $97,146,785 in stakes to date. Yankee Glide has produced 10 millionaires including the great mare Passionate Glide 1:52.2 ($2,131,377) and the great racehorse and now stallion Glidemaster 1:51.1 ($2,038,575) to mention just the top two.

COMMENT

From a breeding point of view you could say that Muscle Hill has ticked all the right boxes. He is by one of the all-time great sires in Muscles Yankee and is from a prolific producing dam family of stallions, such as Yankee Glide, Windsongs Legacy, Glidemaster, T V Yankee, and now Muscle Hill. No need to say no more, this is just a tremendous family and I believe that it will produce many more champions in the future

Muscle Hill was sold as a yearling in 2007 at the Harrisburg Sale as Hip# 199 for $55,000. Interesting to note here that I have seen a catalogue reference page of Muscle Hill by one of the buyers that show a list of leading trainers comments written on the page prior to sale that showed these leading trainers thoughts that Muscle Hill was not a very good prospect on type. All the comments shown were negative comments. Point here is that I believe every buyer at a sale is equal. No one formula works all the time. You just cannot tell which horse is going to be the fastest at the yearling stage. Nobody can in my opinion.

RACE RECORD

Muscle Hill trotted a world record equalling mile as a three-year-old in 1:50.1 and won 20 of 21 lifetime starts for stakes of $3,318,682.

Muscle Hill now has seven crops racing and full details are below.

North American Stallion Record

Muscle Hill started his stud career in sensational fashion. From his first crop to the races he has produced the outstanding Resolve 1:50.4 ($2,749,545) the O'Brien Older Trotting Horse Of The Year in 2015 and exported to Sweden in 2017, the Hambletonian winner and now proven two-year-old sire Trixton 1:50.3 ($968,696) who finished third on the money winning sires list with his first crop, E L Titan 1:51.2f ($726,344) also now a proven sire of two-year-olds in 2018 with his first crop of just 24 foals finishing tenth on the money winning list overall but on the average earnings list E L Titan finished fourth, a great result as he stood in Canada.

Muscle Hill – North American Statistics

First crop of 82 foals from 139 bred resulted in 47 colts and 35 fillies.

Eligible to race – 77

Winners – 46

$1,000,000+ – 1

$750,000+ – 2

$500,000+ – 4

$250,000+ – 6

$100,000+ – 18

Sub 1:53 – 9

Average earnings per starter $160,977

Average earnings per eligible horse – $114,984

Total earnings to date $8,853,738

…………………………………………………

Muscle Hill hit the headlines again with his second crop producing the sensational world champion filly Mission Brief 1:50.2f (27 starts for 19 wins with $1,657,399 in earnings), Muscle Diamond 1:50.1 ($810,706) and Pasithea Face S 1:50.4f ($591,473).

Second crop of 83 foals from 139 bred resulted in 46 colts and 37 fillies.

Eligible to race – 77

Winners – 42

$1,000,000+ – 1

$750,000+ – 2

$500,000+ – 4

$250,000+ – 7

$100,000+ – 20

Sub 1:53 – 11

Average earnings per starter $155,337

Average earnings per eligible horse – $106,920

Total earnings to date $8,232,852

…………………………………………………

Muscle Hill hit the headlines again with his third crop which has produced an unbelievable four millionaires. They are Marion Marauder 1:51.2 ($3,322,177) now standing at Hanover Shoe Farms, Southwind Frank 1:52.1 ($2,115,999) now standing at stud at Diamond Creek Farm, Bar Hopping 1:51.4 ($1,385,293) standing at Hanover Shoe Farms as well and the very good mare All The Time 1:52.1 ($1,026,356)

Third crop of 80 foals from 130 bred resulted in 42 colts and 38 fillies.

Eligible to race – 80

Winners – 52

$1,000,000+ – 4

$750,000+ – 4

$500,000+ – 4

$250,000+ – 7

$100,000+ – 23

Sub 1:53 – 7

Average earnings per starter $197,816

Average earnings per eligible horse – $153,307

Total earnings to date $12,264,582

…………………………………………………

Muscle Hill did it again with his fourth crop which has produced another three millionaires. They are the sensational filly Ariana G 1:50.2 ($2,600,995) and the Hambletonian winner (Then disqualified) What The Hill 1:51.4s ($1,345,999) now standing at stud.

Fourth crop of 106 foals from 140 bred resulted in 58 colts and 48 fillies.

Eligible to race – 101

Winners – 59

$1,000,000+ – 2

$750,000+ – 3

$500,000+ – 5

$250,000+ – 9

$100,000+ – 25

Sub 1:53 – 12

Average earnings per starter $158,421

Average earnings per eligible horse – $111,365

Total earnings to date $11,247,873

…………………………………………………

Muscle Hill did it again with his fifth crop producing another filly millionaire Manchego 1:50 ($1,609,480) who was unbeaten as a two-year-old 12 for 12. He also produced the outstanding late season sensation Tactical Landing 1:50.2 ($812,300) and now to stand at stud in 2019.

Fifth crop of 105 foals from 141 bred resulted in 62 colts and 43 fillies.

Eligible to race – 104

Winners – 60

$1,000,000+ – 1

$750,000+ – 2

$500,000+ – 4

$250,000+ – 4

$100,000+ – 12

Sub 1:53 – 12

Average earnings per starter $87,473

Average earnings per eligible horse – $64,764

Total earnings to date $6,735,455

From his first five crops to the races three-year-olds and over Muscle Hill has produced 259 winners from 439 foals eligible, nine millionaires, thirteen with earnings of more than $750,000, twenty-one $500,000 plus winners, thirty-three $250,000 winners, ninety-eight $100,000 plus winners with 56 trotting in 1:53 or better and total earnings of $47,334,500. That works out to be $107,823 average earnings for all foals eligible to race. This is a stunning record that will be very hard to surpass.

Muscle Hill is probably the greatest producing stallion in history. With only those five crops racing he has already produced Stallions, Trixton and E L Titan that are already proven producers of two-year-olds in 2018. Muscle Hill is the pinnacle of breeding, a trotting sire that has it all, a great race record, a great siring record and this is all with just the five crops three-year-old and older racing. God knows where Muscle Hill will end up with still many crops to come. He is still a very young stallion, just 12 years old. What a future Muscle Hill has.

Australian Stallion Statistics

Muscle Hill has bred by frozen semen a total of 81 mares that have three-year-olds or older progeny to date. He has produced 19 starters for 15 winners with total earnings of $725,681. That is a good average per starter of $38,194. His two best progeny are the fillies Glenferrie Burn 1:55.5 ($234,430) and the rising star Dance Craze 1:56.9 ($180,240) 14 wins from 21 starts. His next best is the good three-year-old from last season La Grange ($91,540) a recent export to North America.

New Zealand Stallion Statistics

Muscle Hill has bred 67 mares in New Zealand all by frozen semen that have produced 46 live foals that are three-year-old or older. He has had 24 starters for 15 winners of $386,669 to date the best of which is Luby Lou ($94,000), One Muscle Hill ($57,637) and Kings Landing ($35,060)

Europe

We have no statistical data on progeny bred in Europe for this review although we know that the exported Propulsion has been a very good horse there.

Muscle Hill, who raced only as a two and three-year-old, is the champion trotter of his era. Possessed of brilliant speed, great stamina and a magnificent flowing gait, Muscle Hill became the idol of all American trotting fans.

Beaten at his debut, Muscle Hill won the last 20 of the 21 races he contested, setting two world records and a string of stakes and track records. His average winning margin was four lengths!

As a two-year-old he won eight of his nine starts for $817,301 including the $700,000 Breeders Crown in a world record 1:53.6, $500,000 Peter Haughton Memorial, New Jersey Sire Stakes, Bluegrass Stakes, International Stallion Stakes and the Simpson Memorial and was named USA 2YO Trotter of the Year.

He took his record of 1:50.1 at three years, winning the $1,520,333 Hambletonian at The Meadowlands by six lengths. He also captured the $617,880 Breeders Crown at Woodbine, $540,000 World Trotting Derby, $1,000,000 Canadian Trotting Classic and Kentucky Futurity, netting $2,501,381, a season's record for a trotter or pacer.

Undefeated in 12 starts at 3, Muscle Hill was the unanimous choice for Horse of the Year and 3YO Trotter of the Year in both USA and Canada.

The fastest son of thrice premier sire and champion sire of sires Muscles Yankee 3, 1:52.2, Muscle Hill belongs to a family replete with champion trotters.

Harnesslink Media