Newtown trainer’s horse is the favorite

Peck’s colt expected
to muscle its way
to the front in Hambletonian
By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
Surprise, surprise.
Newtown has one of its own training race horses.
Originally from Nova Scotia, Greg Peck of Clivedon Drive, has one of his trotters entered into the upcoming Hambletonian, a $1.5 million stakes race slated for Saturday, Aug. 8 at the Meadowlands.
Peck is planning on entering Muscle Hill in harness racing’s most prestigious event for 3-year-old trotting colts. The horse is a heavy favorite, making its debut by posting a time of 1:53.1 in round two of New Jersey Sire Stakes June 4 at the Big M.
"Physically, he's grown up and filled out," said driver Brian Sears. "I couldn't ask for anything more, he pretty much went on his own."
The 2008 Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year is a perfect three-for-three this season and reached millionaire status July 17 in his final prep for the Hambletonian, posting a career best 1:52.1 in one of two $185,250 Stanley Dancer Memorial divisions.
Peck trains Muscle Hill for Jerry Silva and Muscle Hill Racing of Long Beach, NY; Southwind Farm of Pennington; and TLP Stable of Kearny, NJ. Along with stablemate My Back Pages, Muscle Hill is one of two colts Peck will start in the Aug. 1 $70,000 Hambletonian eliminations.
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. Both 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.
Two colts that could knock Muscle Hill from his perch in the Hambletonian are Federal Flex, also undefeated in three starts this season, and Explosive Matter.
In his first trip at the Meadowlands this summer, Federal Flex romped to a convincing victory in 1:53.3 in his Dancer Memorial division. Prior to arriving in New Jersey, the Jeff Gillis trainee swept the Goodtimes elimination and final at Mohawk.
Explosive Matter was one of the top colts of his freshman class last year, winning six of eight starts that earned it more than $360,000. The homebred son of Cantab Hall also finished second only to Muscle Hill in the Breeders Crown at the Meadowlands. After winning a division of the Historic Dickerson Cup on July 3, Explosive Matter rebounded from an early mishap to finish second behind Muscle Hill again in their Dancer Memorial division.
Explosive Matter sits at the No. 1 post in the first of three $70,000 elimination races this Saturday at the Meadowlands. Federal Flex drew the seventh slot in the second race with Muscle Hill drawing the No. 2 post in race number three. My Back Pages races alongside Federal Flex in race two after drawing the No. 4 post.
Muscle Hill carries a formidable 11-race winning streak into the Hambletonian eliminations. To date, the colt has won $1,037,376 in his career, including $ 220,075 this year.
The top three finishers in each race, plus the fourth-place finisher with the highest overall earnings, will advance to harness racing's most prestigious event on Aug. 8.
Peck also has a Philly named Caviart Annie in the Hambletonian Oaks, the $750,000 filly division which drew the most entries in its 38-year history, with 32 fillies forcing four eliminations. All of those elims will also take place Saturday night at the Big M.
Peck isn’t the only Bucks County resident breeding trotters. Arlene and Jules Siegel, owners of New Hope’s Fashion Farms, are also in the high-stakes horse racing game. The Siegels recently had one of their trotters--Dial Or Nodial--finish fifth in the $1.4 million North America Cup that went off June 27 at Mohawk Racetrack in Campbellville, Ontario.
Dial Or Nodial, which was 4-1 in the morning line and 7-2 at post, finished behind 3-1 winner Well Said, runner-up Art Colony, show horse and the favorite going in at 9-5 Keep it Real and fourth place Mr. Wiggles.
The Siegels will post Tomcango in the upcoming Hambletonian, one of the biggest stakes races for trotters in the world. The couple earned their place in the winners circle in 1995 when their horse, Tagliabue, named for the former NFL commissioner, won the race by 2 and 1/4 lengths.

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Aug. 1 Eliminations

$70,000 Hambletonian Elimination - Race 7
1. Explosive Matter
2. Citation Lindy
3. Select Yankee
4. Reinsman Hanover
5. NF Quotable
6. Truth In Action
7. Hot Shot Blue Chip

$70,000 Hambletonian Elimination - Race 8
1. Symphonic Hanover
2. Judge Joe
3. Mr Cantab
4. My Back Pages
5. Calchips Brute
6. Cesar A Blue Chip
7. Federal Flex

$70,000 Hambletonian Elimination - Race 9
1. Triumphant Caviar
2. Muscle Hill
3. The Chancellor
4. Tom Cango
5. Braggart
6. Big Bikkies
7. Airzoom Lindy
8. Wuthering Hanover