Stallion Review - Muscles Yankee
Muscles Yankee
Muscles Yankee 1:52.2 ($1,424,938). Born 1995
BREEDING
Muscles Yankee is by Valley Victory from Maiden Yankee by Speedy Crown from Wistful Yankee by Noble Victory from Brazen Yankee by Hickory Pride from Hoot Yankee.
SIRE - VALLEY VICTORY
Valley Victory, the breed-shaping sire who changed the face of trotting in North America, was euthanized in March 2011 after complications from what appeared to be kidney failure, according to Art Zubrod, manager of Brittany Farms and the Valley Victory Syndicate.
Bred by Bill Weaver's Valley High Stable, Valley Victory was owned during his racing career by Arlene Traub and trained by Steve Elliott. He won the Breeders Crown as a two-year-old and the Yonkers Trot at three, and was syndicated at the conclusion of his sophomore campaign by George Segal and Tony Pedone and sent to stud duty at Southwind Farms in Pennington, New Jersey in 1990.
He proved to be a great sire from the onset of his career, as his first crop, which raced in 1993, made him North America's leading sire of two-year-old trotters that season, with nearly $1.7 million in earnings.
His first four crops would include three Hambletonian winners -- Victory Dream, Continentalvictory and Muscles Yankee -- but fertility issues diminished his foal production early in his stud career, and even more so as time progressed. By 2001, his crop size had dropped to only five foals.
"Valley Victory passed on terrific qualities to his youngsters," Zubrod said. "He produced horses that had a low head carriage, with long, fluid gaits, and they possessed a tremendous desire to race. They could overcome a lot in terms of training. A trainer could make a mistake with a Valley Victory colt and the colt would just seem to forget it, and look the other way. Most of all, had a very calm demeanor. Whatever you asked them to do, it didn't seem to be a problem for them."
Perhaps even more than siring great racehorses who averaged $104,299 per starter, Valley Victory will best be remembered as a sire who carried the great Speedy Crown line into a whole new era of prominence in furthering the trotting breed. His progeny, with $35-million in total earnings, includes the successful sires Muscles Yankee, Yankee Glide, Donerail and Lindy Lane, while daughters of Valley Victory on their own have produced six millionaires and the winners of over $70 million including Wishing Stone, Giant Diablo and Chocolatier.
Watch - Valley Victory
DAM - MAIDEN YANKEE
The first dam of Muscles Yankee is a daughter of Speedy Crown, Maiden Yankee 1:59.4 ($188,722) dam of 7 winners. This 13 win mare left six other winners apart from Muscles Yankee with the best of them being Yankee Mustang 1:57 ($345,745) who was a smart two and three-year-old before being exported to Sweden. Another half brother was Yankee McCoy 1:55.4 ($174,081) who was a 12 race winner, while a full sister to Muscles Yankee in Yankee Sunflower is the dam of Surprise Package 1:57.2 ($126,849). There is not a lot else of note tracing to Maiden Yankee but several mares from her and her daughters have been exported to Europe.
The second dam of Muscles Yankee is Wistful Yankee ($4,806) dam of 8 winners. She is a daughter of Noble Victory who apart from Maiden Yankee left seven other winners including the full brother to Maiden Yankee in Defiant Yankee 1:58.1 ($172,290) who had a successful stud career, leaving 260 winners, 33 $100,000 plus winners and total stakes earned of $11,9918,789. A full sister to Maiden Yankee in Yankee Playgirl was unraced, but at stud left the brilliant son of Balanced Image in Yankee Paco 1:53.2 ($1,486,197) who won the 2000 Hambletonian and while he left 102 winners from 306 foals eligible to race, with earnings to date of
$7,728,398, he struggled in North America and was exported to Australia in 2006.
Yankee Playgirl also left another smart trotter in Prime Yankee 1:55.4 ($233,022) and is the grand dam of Muscle Shirt 1:56.2 ($248,892) who is by Muscles Yankee.
Another full sister to Maiden Yankee, Somber Yankee ($61,516) is the dam of Thasos 1:59.2 ($144,665) and yet another full sister Yankee Twilight ($24,262) is the grand dam of Cuddler 1:56.1 ($205,172), CJS Victory 1:58.3 ($130,957) and Tender N Kind 1:58.4 ($122,887). A half sister by Baltic Speed named Sentimental Yankee 2:01.1 ($12,545) is the grand dam of both Guilford 1:54.2 ($506,292) and Windsun Pride 1:56.1 ($265,270).
Again a lot of the mares tracing to Wistful Yankee have found their way to Europe over the years.
The third dam of Muscles Yankee is Brazen Yankee ($45,036) the dam of 9 winners. A daughter of Hickory Pride, Brazen Yankee was born in 1965 and you need to read the amounts won with that year in mind. Brazen Yankee left nine winners but only one $100,000 horse and that was Brilliant Yankee 2:02 ($151,493) who was tried at stud but only left 32 winners for $1,573,314 in stakes. There are plenty of other winners but none earned over $100,000 and her daughters and grand daughters have left plenty of winners as well, with the best of them being Victory Starburst 1;55.4 ($318,554). Again a lot of the immediate family were exported to
Europe.
COMMENT
With the exception of Muscles Yankee and Yankee Paco, this maternal family is a real "raceway" type family. There is only one other $500,000 winner within the first three dams and for the number of foals bred, a real lack of $100,000 winners. However we were constantly finding daughters and grand daughters that had been exported to Europe during our research which may account for the overall lack of stand out performers in North America.
RACING CAREER
Muscles Yankee was the winner of USHWA Dan Patch and HTA Nova Award for three-year-old trotting colts. At two he won the $64,940 Bluegrass stakes, elimination of the $405,000 Breeders Crown, the $109,920 Champlain stakes, the $73,425 International Stallion Stake and an elimination of the $322,10 Valley Victory. At three he won the elimination and final of $480,000 Breeders Crown, the $319,725 Yonkers Trot and the elimination and final of the $1,000,000 Hambletonian.
A review of Muscles Yankee Hambletonian win.
Muscles Yankee didn't surprise anyone by capturing the 73rd edition of the $1 million Hambletonian at the Meadowlands. The victory gave the driver John Campbell his record fifth success in the most prestigious event in harness racing.
"To win more Hambletonians than anyone is very special," Campbell said after piloting Muscles Yankee to his fourth consecutive triumph and fifth in six starts this season, justifying the label of best three-year-old. Campbell drove Muscles Yankee into the lead just after the halfway point and they were never threatened the rest of the way, covering the mile in 1:52.2.
The time was the second fastest in the classic's history, only one-fifth of a second off the stakes record set by Continentalvictory in 1996. Trainer Chuck Sylvester said that Muscles Yankee raced a great mile. "When he was asked to go, he did just that," Sylvester, referring to a move to the top of the field around the halfway point.
Campbell agreed. "He responded very well when I asked him to step to the front, he said. "He felt very strong and I felt real confident. He's never shown any quitting in any of the starts in his life."
Watch - Muscles Yankee win in the Hambletonian
COMMENT
An outstanding racehorse who won fifteen of twenty one and with three placings as well earned $1,424,938 as a two and three year old. Noted for his toughness throughout his racing career and was renowned for always putting in 100%. A nice two year old who won six from nine and $166,327, Muscles Yankee really came of age at three and was the dominant colt for most of his three year old season earning $1,258,611 at that age.
STALLION CAREER
Muscles Yankee stands at Winbak Farm in New York in 2015 for a fee of $10,000. It is the second year in a row that Muscles Yankee has stood in New York. In 2013 he stood in Pennsylvania and prior to that he stood at Perretti Farms from the time he went to stud.
Watch - Muscles Yankee at stud
In 2009, Muscles Yankee was inducted into the Harness Racing Living Horse Hall of Fame both as a racehorse and as a sire. The 1998 Hambletonian winner sired three of the decade's horses to surpass $3 million - Mr Muscleman, Muscle Hill and Deweycheatumnhowe, and boasts five trotters with records of 1:51 or faster with the three champions mentioned above as well as Tom Ridge and Strong Yankee. No other stallion has more than two.
At only 20 years of age today, Muscles Yankee has sired the winners of over $90,000,000 in North America alone. He has sired the winners of just on $5 million in Australia and New Zealand.
Muscles Yankee has sired one horse with over $4 million in earnings, Mr Muscleman ($4,032,206), two over $3 million, Muscle Hill ($3,318,682) and Deweycheatumnhowe ($3,177,12) and 13 over a million to date in North America alone. He has also sired a million dollar earner in New Zealand I Can Doosit and his progeny finished first and second in the prestigious Inter Dominion Trotters Final at Auckland in 2011.
Muscles Yankee has produced eight individual crops of foals that has left at least one millionaire earner. He has produced five crops that have left two individual earners each that have won over a million dollars. Now that is something extremely rare for any stallion to do.
As a broodmare sire Muscles Yankee's mares already have earnings of over $50 million to date producing standouts like Lucky Chucky T3,1:50.4 ($2,19,958) which is out of a Windsongs Legacy mare, and Explosive Matter T3,1:52.3 ($1,528,266) which is out of a Cantab Hall mare,
Muscle Yankee's first crop of foals, were born in 2000 and are New Jersey bred. He produced 113 live foals, 65 colts and 48 fillies.
When looking at the statistics below for this crop of Muscles Yankee you have to take into consideration that 26 of his progeny have been exported, most of them without racing or only with a few starts. Also 6 of his progeny have died before having a start. Therefore his statistics for this crop are way better than the stats shown below would indicate. It is also interesting that he only produced one mare, Sunday Yankee 1:54.4 ($395,568) that made the top ten on the richest list from this crop.
This is one amazing group of horses headed by the outstanding gelding Mr Muscleman 1:51.1s ($4,032,206). Mr Muscleman is one of only two horses in history at the time of his retirement to make $1 million in two seasons, but not consecutively. Peace Corps did it first in 1989 ($1,002,701) and in 1991 ($1,380,758) and Mr Muscleman followed suit in 2003 ($1,350,917) and again in 2005 ($1,528,900). He had an affinity for Canada, winning his four biggest pots at Mohawk Racetrack and taking his 1:51.1 mile at Woodbine Racetrack.
His most lucrative Canadian victories were the $1,314,250 Canadian Trotting Classic (2003), the $968,000 Breeders Crown (2005), the $918,500 Maple Leaf Trot (2005) and the $861,000 Maple Leaf Trot (2004).
"He was the best horse I've ever driven. The toughest, the classiest, the gutsiest," said pilot Ron Pierce. "He had the manners and covered the ground so easily. He was very much like Moni Maker -- long striding, big powerful horses that only needed three strides to get where all the other horses needed four. Pierce had a lot to say about the gelding that wowed crowds all over.
"I never once left the gate hard with him-until the Elitlopp," Pierce explained. "He scored down so well, and I felt I had to get out and to the top or I'd be the one racing on the outside. I always knew he had the gate speed, but I was so used to floating out with him. That day, he swooped the field. The French horse worked out the best trip, but Mr Muscleman did all the work. That race took its toll on him though."
Watch - Mr Muscleman Retirement Ceremony
The second richest in this group of Muscles Yankee foals is the millionaire gelding Muscles Marinara 1:52.1 ($1,136,921). Muscles Marinara, out of the Super Bowl mare Chili Bowl, was originally developed by Trond Smedshammer and was a frequent runner-up in major stakes events such as The Maple Leaf Trot to his main nemesis, Mr Muscleman ($4,032,206), and later raced for a succession of trainers including Ken Rucker, Erv Miller, Richard Banca, and Casie Coleman.
Another horse to have made an impact from Muscles Yankee's first crop is the stallion Mutineer 1:53 ($566,191) now standing at Winbak Farm for a fee of $5,000 and is a successful sire. He is the sire of progeny that has $3,625,818 in earnings to date with 64 winners from just the 105 foals that have raced to date.
Eligible to race - 113
Winners - 67
$1,000,000+ - 2
$750,000+ - 2
$500,000+ - 5
$250,000+ - 11
$100,000+ - 22
1:55 or faster - 10
1:53 or faster - 3
Average earnings per starter $143,451
Average earning per eligible horse - $105,366
Total earnings to date $11,906,407
Muscles Yankee's second crop of foals, were born in 2001 and are New Jersey bred. He produced 134 live foals, 65 colts and 69 fillies.
Twelve of the twenty-seven exported won over $15,000 but the other 15 were virtually unraced therefore not helping the statistics shown below. Muscles Yankee still has great stats from this group born in 2001. Four of the top ten richest were mares. They include the super three-year-old filly Housethatruthbuilt T3,1:52.4 ($1,266,768), 13 wins from 34 starts. In 15 starts as a three-year-old Housethatruthbuilt won 11, had three seconds and a third for $929,487 and was voted Dan Patch, Nova "3-Year-old Trotting Filly of the Year". Housethatruthbuilt has bred five foals old enough to race (all raced) for four winners including the
very good Real Babe 1:52.2 ($383,908) and House On Fire 1:54.1f ($164,336).
Muscles Yankee also left the World Champion and now stallion Tom Ridge 1:50.2 ($889,394) from this crop. Tom Ridge retired the fastest trotter of all-time at 1:50.2. Besides a record breaking trotter Tom Ridge has set a very good record at stud leaving the winners of $11,693,180 to date. Tom Ridge has produced 139 winners from 208 starters in North America and has a son Tom Cango ($500,000+) now standing at stud.
Others to have impress in this second crop produced by Muscles Yankee are Ripped 1:52.3 ($695,044), Jabez 1:54.4f ($466,656), Rocky Balboa 1:54.2s ($463,758), Lhasa Muscles 1:52.3 ($457,816), Calchips Muscle 1:55.1f ($451,179), the mares Ladylind T2, 1:57.3 ($449,959) and Bramasole 1:53.1 ($386,540).
Eligible to race - 134
Winners - 77
$1,000,000+ - 1
$750,000+ - 2
$500,000+ - 3
$250,000+ - 15
$100,000+ - 33
1:55 or faster - 14
1:53 or faster - 4
Average earnings per starter $122,322
Average earning per eligible horse - $83,982
Total earnings to date $11,253,641
Muscles Yankee's third crop of foals, were born in 2002 and are New Jersey bred. He produced 149 live foals, 74 colts and 75 fillies.
Twenty-nine foals from this crop have been exported. Eleven of those foals had earnings of more than $20,000. We suggest that you take these numbers into account when looking at the statistics shown below. There are also eight deaths registered from this crop. This crop is the largest crop of foals that Muscles Yankee produced.
This third crop from Muscles Yankee again showed just what a great sire he is. He produced two millionaires, a colt and a filly. The World Champion and ill-fated Strong Yankee T3,1:50.3 ($1,495,805) was the winner of the 2005 Kentucky Futurity in World Record time, Breeders Crown, Yonkers Trot, and Charles Smith Memorial, as well as the 2004 Matron, Strong Yankee had 11 wins, nine seconds and two thirds in 31 career starts. Strong Yankee retired as the second fastest and second richest son of Muscles Yankee. Strong Yankee died suddenly before breeding any mares.
Muscles Yankee's second millionaire was the outstanding Dan Patch, Nova, O'Brien "3-Year-old Trotting Filly of the Year" in 2005 in Blur 1:55.1s ($1,087,000) who only had 18 starts for 9 wins, 3 seconds and 2 thirds in her short racing career. Blur has produced six foals old enough to race for six starters, four winners including three $100,000 plus winners. Her fastest and richest foal is now five-year-old Bluto 1:52.4f ($336,799).
Other outstanding horses produced in this group are Get Packing 1:56.3 ($568,245), Sundowner Bob 1:53.4s ($533,783), Muscle Memory 1:55.1 ($445,156) and the mares Ladymatic 1:57.1 ($380,472) and Her Culese 1:53.3 (354,658).
Eligible to race - 149
Winners - 76
$1,000,000+ - 2
$750,000+ - 2
$500,000+ - 5
$250,000+ - 12
$100,000+ - 33
1:55 or faster - 13
1:53 or faster - 2
Average earnings per starter $123,441
Average earning per eligible horse - $78,402
Total earnings to date $11,603,428
Muscles Yankee's fourth crop of foals, were born in 2003 and are New Jersey bred. He produced 101 live foals, 49 colts and 52 fillies.
The fourth crop is always a difficult crop for stallions as there is usually a drop off in quality and numbers of mares bred while the breeders are looking at the progeny of the sire that are now at the races. This was the case for Muscles Yankee with this crop as can be seen by the results that are not that bad, with good average earnings but not as great as his previous three crops. 32 horses from this crop have been exported and that also has an impact on the statistics shown below.
The richest foal produced in this crop is Blue Mac Lad 1:53.2 ($586,755) who was exported as a stallion to Europe. The second richest in this group is the very good mare Miss Wisconsin T3, 1:55 ($525,551). Miss Wisconsin sold as a yearling in Hunterton Sales Agency's 2004 consignment for $150,000 and resold in the 'Fabulous Fillies' section at the Harrisburg Mixed Sale two years later for $485,000. Her own yearlings have sold for up to $105,000. Next richest is Winbak Red 1:55.1 ($417,692), the mare Grande Armee ($339,766), Muscles To Spare 1:53.2f ($322,725), CR Muscle Power 1:53.1s ($293,696), BJS Chinook 1:53.3f ($283,629) and
Money Talks 1:56.1h ($244,327).
Eligible to race - 101
Winners - 55
$1,000,000+ - 0
$750,000+ - 0
$500,000+ - 2
$250,000+ - 7
$100,000+ - 18
1:55 or faster - 9
1:53 or faster - 0
Average earnings per starter $86,267
Average earning per eligible horse - $58,081
Total earnings to date $5,866,160
Muscles Yankee's fifth crop of foals, were born in 2004 and are New Jersey bred. He bred 140 mares that produced 87 live foals, 41 colts and 46 fillies.
There are 21 foals from this crop that have been exported and four foals have died. When you read the statistics below keep that fact in mind.
This crop of foals was headed by the top three-year-old filly Vulcanize 1:54 ($636,718) who had 31 starts for nine wins. A $225,000 yearling purchase by Audrey Campbell's Lothlorien Equestrian Center of Mississauga, Ontario, Vulcanize won a $48,000 division of the Buckette in 1:57.1 at the Delaware, Ohio fairgrounds, a half mile track. The win was the fourth straight for Vulcanize, a streak that included the $300,330 Hudson Filly Trot at Yonkers and a $241,945 Simcoe division at Mohawk. Vulcanize also won a $98,000 division of The Kentucky Futurity and a division of the Matron Stakes. Her oldest live foal was born in 2013.
The next richest progeny produced in this fifth crop is the gelding Jeter Marvel 1:55.3f ($329,255) followed by Logan Aas 1:55.3s ($325,147), Yankee Frenzy 1:53.2 ($273,581), the mares Pippiwhitestockings 1:56.1f ($240,125) and Classical Mary 1:55.2 ($214,745), Strive For Perfect 1:55.4 ($207,190) and Colin Power 1:54.3 ($174,875).
Eligible to race - 85
Winners - 43
$1,000,000+ - 0
$750,000+ - 0
$500,000+ - 1
$250,000+ - 4
$100,000+ - 15
1:55 or faster - 5
1:53 or faster - 0
Average earnings per starter $74,869
Average earning per eligible horse - $49,326
Total earnings to date $4,192,679
Muscles Yankee's sixth crop of foals, were born in 2005 and are New Jersey bred. He bred 194 mares that produced 133 live foals, 70 colts and 63 fillies.
This is Muscles Yankee's second largest crop and what an incredible crop it was with three earners over $800,000 in stakes, two over $1,000,000 and one super racehorse over $3,000,000. With 133 foals born this crop of foals have average earnings of over $90,000 for each foal born. Twenty-five of this group were exported and six have died so again thats need to be taken into consideration when assessing the statistics below.
This crop is headed by the champion racehorse Deweycheatumnhowe 1:50.4 ($3,177,120) who had 25 starts for 22 wins, 1 second and 2 thirds, with 19 straight wins. He was the only horse in the history of harness racing to win the Hambletonian while still undefeated. He was the Dan Patch, Nova Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year in 2007, the Dan Patch Trotter of the Year and the Dan Patch, Nova Three-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year in 2008.
Deweycheatumnhowe was named for the fictional law firm of Dewey, Cheatem and Howe. He was sired by Muscles Yankee, out of Trolley Square, a Speedy Somolli mare. He won 22 of the 25 races he had started. Ray Schnittker, his trainer described the horse's regimen as a triathlon involving running and swimming along with pulling. Deweycheatumnhowe's achievements include wins in the $650,000 Breeders Crown, the $666,050 Valley Victory, the $175,000 New Jersey Sires Stakes Final for two-year-old trotting colts, the $350,000 Stanley Dancer Memorial, the $1,500,000 Hambletonian, the $565,000 World Trotting Derby, the $1,000,000 Canadian
Trotting Classic, and the $186,000 Kentucky Futurity Final.
Watch - Deweycheatumnhowe World Trotting Derby
Here is a great article that was in the New York Times about Deweycheatumnhowe written by Jane Schwartz on December 14th 2008.
There is a season for every professional sport, and between one season and the next, players are traded, managers are fired, teammates retire, careers are ended. Professional athletes find out quickly that nothing lasts forever, and that saying goodbye is part of the game.
But how do you say goodbye to an athlete who has lived with you every day for more than two years? Who has been dependent on you not only for his training and scheduling, but also for his food and shelter, grooming and medical care, transportation, recreation, and social life?
Ray Schnittker, the trainer, driver and co-owner of Deweycheatumnhowe, the winner of the Hambletonian and the two-time champion trotting colt, deflects the emotional side of that question with a shrug and a smile. "It's been a lot of fun," he says. "It really has. And I'm grateful it happened to me now, when I'm 50, instead of when I was just starting out. I can really appreciate it."
If Dewey, as he is affectionately known, were a thoroughbred instead of a trotter, he would be spoken about in the same breath as Secretariat. Dewey will soon be sent to Walnut Hall Farm in Lexington, Ky., for his new life at stud. He was retired after his last race Nov. 29, after winning 22 of 25 races, placing in two others and showing once. Secretariat won 16 of 21 starts (and he even finished out of the money once).
Dewey carried a 14-race winning streak into the Hambletonian, the trotting world's equivalent of the Kentucky Derby, and he became the first undefeated horse to win that race in its 83-year history. He is syndicated for $12 million, and his first-year stud fee is $25,000, a whopping figure especially in an economy in which just about every sector is faltering.
Watch - Deweycheatumnhowe - Hambletonian
Dewey's training, included what became known as his triathlon training system: running, swimming and pulling (not riding) a "bike," or sulky. Schnittker would throw a Western saddle on his back and go riding in the woods one day, let the horse go swimming in the pond the next day, and hitch him to a training buggy and work him on the track the third day. Dewey was an easygoing horse, but he liked variety.
Every morning when Schnittker went down to the barn, Dewey was the first horse to stick his head out to greet him. "Nothing ever bothered him," said Schnittker, whose wife, the veterinarian Janet Durso, cared for Dewey and other horses on their farm. "He's raced in rain, in mud, in wind. You could do anything with him. The only thing that bothers him is flies."
"Someday, I might have a faster horse," said Schnittker, who plans to visit Dewey in Lexington. "Or a horse that makes more money, but I'll never have a better horse or a horse that's nicer to be around."
Yes, we have spent a lot of time in this review with Deweycheatumnhowe but such was his greatness on the track and is a big plus for Muscles Yankee to produce a horse of his stature.
Watch - Deweycheatumnhowe Takes a Dunk in the Pond
Let us not forget the other millionaire from this sixth crop of Muscles Yankee which was the hardy gelding Looking Hanover 1:53.2f ($1,170,576) who has had 191 starts for 32 wins, 39 seconds and 40 thirds and is still racing in 2015. Another horse with similar statistics from this crop is the gelding Wind Surfer 1:53.4f ($862,491) who has had 189 starts for 41 wins, 30 seconds and 24 thirds and is still racing in 2015. These two horses are current ten-year-olds and are a testimony to how tough and sound the progeny of Muscles Yankee are.
Eligible to race - 139
Winners - 82
$1,000,000+ - 2
$750,000+ - 3
$500,000+ - 3
$250,000+ - 10
$100,000+ - 29
1:55 or faster - 17
1:53 or faster - 2
Average earnings per starter $131,200
Average earning per eligible horse - $90,200
Total earnings to date $12,537,855.
Muscles Yankee's seventh crop of foals, were born in 2006 and are New Jersey bred. He bred 184 mares that produced 103 live foals, 39 colts and 64 fillies.
This is yet another outstanding and incredible crop with again Muscles Yankee producing three horses that have won over $800,000, two over $1,000,000 and one over $3,000,000 the champion racehorse and now sire, Muscle Hill 1:50.1 ($3,318,682) who had 21 starts for 20 wins and a second. Remember that this crop only contained 39 colts with the other 64 all fillies. Also take into account that 17 foals from this group were exported.
For more on Muscle Hill go to Stallion Sphere and that will give you a full history of his racing career. He was the Dan Patch, Nova Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year in 2008, the Dan Patch, O'Brien Horse of the Year, the Dan Patch Trotter of the Year, the Dan Patch, O'Brien Three-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year in 2009 and is a World Champion.
Muscle Hill has already got progeny earnings of $7,133,081 from just the two crops old enough to race. He has 70 race winners with 8 in better than 1:53 and 19 winners with over $100,000 in earnings. Muscle Hill has startled the breeding world with such standouts produced in his first two crops as the freakish two-year-old filly in 2014 called Mission Brief who shocked the harness racing world with an unheard off world record 1:50.3 mile at Lexington. Most breeders can hardly believe that a filly could trot a mile so quick. That mile is 2.4 seconds faster than the previous world record for any two-year-old. Mission Brief is
projected to be the favorite for the 2015 Hambletonian against the colts.
Watch - Muscles Hill Hambletonian
Muscle Hill also produced from this his first crop the 2014 Hambletonian winner Trixton 1:50.3 ($968,696) who had 19 starts for 12 wins, 2 seconds and 2 thirds. Trixton has already been syndicated, retired and is standing as a stallion in 2015. Another tremendous horse produced by Muscle Hill in this crop is the Canadian trained El Titan 1:53.4 ($600,147) who is still racing but also standing at stud in Ontario and is fully booked out for the 2015 breeding season.
Muscles Yankee had another millionaire from his seventh crop, the good horse Neighsay Hanover 1:52.2f ($1,285,147) who is now standing at stud. Next on the list for this group is the very good Canadian trotter Federal Flex T3, 1:53.3 ($840,643) now standing at stud and has progeny earnings of $1,443,163 from two crops racing to date.
Eligible to race - 103
Winners - 57
$1,000,000+ - 2
$750,000+ - 3
$500,000+ - 3
$250,000+ - 6
$100,000+ - 15
1:55 or faster - 10
1:53 or faster - 4
Average earnings per starter $119,446
Average earning per eligible horse - $91,613
Total earnings to date $9,436,217
Muscles Yankee's eighth crop of foal, were born in 2007 and are New Jersey bred. He bred 171 mares in 2006 that produced 95 live foals, 43 colts and 52 fillies.
This is another dazzling crop for Muscles Yankee producing for the third consecutive year, three horses with earnings of over $800,000 and two over $1,000,000. Eleven foals have been exported and five have died. This crop is headed by the super two-year-old filly Costa Rica T3, 1:54.3s ($1,404,244). Costa Rica won 10 of 16 starts and is a multiple stakes winner and almost won a million in earnings at two.
The next richest in this crop is another very good horse Muscle Massive 1:51 ($1,245,297) the winner of the 2010 Hambletonian. Here is what Jim Simpson from Hanover Shoe Farms had to say about Muscle Massive when he retired.
"Muscle Massive is a welcome addition to our stallion barn," said Simpson. "We have been looking for a quality son of Muscles Yankee for quite some time. Muscles Massive epitomizes the word quality. In addition to being a wonderful racehorse, Muscles Massive has all the qualities in abundance that you look for in a prospective stallion. He carries a pedigree second to none. He is a grand individual, possesses a flawless gait and was possessed with extraordinary high speed."
In addition to being by leading trotting sire Muscles Yankee, Muscle Massive is out of the extraordinary stakes winning and stakes producing Pine Chip broodmare Graceful Touch, she in turn being one of only two foals out out of the incredibly fast Valley Victory mare Act of Grace. The other was her full brother the Stakes Winner Cobol. It is an immediate family replete with Stakes Winners, both colts and fillies of the highest quality. Muscle Massive is a full brother to a multiple stakes winner Muscle Mass and a half-brother to this year's Merrie Annabelle winner Thatsnotmyname. Muscle Massive began his racing life as the
highest priced yearling in the 2008 class bringing $425,000. He was purchased by and trained throughout his career by Jimmy Takter.
Watch - Muscle Massive
Muscles Yankee not only left these two millionaires in this group but he also produced the tough gelding Flex The Muscle 1:52.4f ($907,662), Hes A Demon T3,1:53.1 ($315,878) and the mare In The Mean Time T3,1:54.4 ($233,554) rounding out the top earners in this group.
Eligible to race - 93
Winners - 54
$1,000,000+ - 2
$750,000+ - 3
$500,000+ - 3
$250,000+ - 4
$100,000+ - 16
1:55 or faster - 7
1:53 or faster - 2
Average earnings per starter $105,366
Average earning per eligible horse - $77,042
Total earnings to date $7,164,878
Muscles Yankee's ninth crop of foals, were born in 2008 and are New Jersey bred. He bred 114 mares that produced 62 live foals, 20 colts and 42 fillies.
This crop was not big on numbers with just the 20 colt foals. This crop was headed by the very good two-year-old filly Lady Rainbow 1:54.2f ($800,616) who had 21 starts for 5 wins, 6 seconds and 4 thirds. Lady Rainbow won the $88,500 Bluegrass Stakes and an elimination of the $600,000 Breeders Crown as a two-year-old before winning the $233,400 Moni Maker as a three-year-old. She was place in a number of other stakes. The second richest in this group is the exported stallion Leader Of The Gang T2, 1:55.2s ($619,287) who had 20 starts for 6 wins, 2 seconds and 3 thirds. Leader Of The Gang won the $445,474 Yonkers Trot, the
$200,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Final as a two-year-old and an elimination of the $500,000 Peter Haughton Memorial as well as an elimination of the $500,000 Wellwood Stakes in Canada. The third richest horse that Muscles Yankee produced in this group is Mr Web Page 1:54.1s ($494,727) followed by Ice Machine 1:52.3 ($401,793) and Brandos Muscle Man 1:55f ($307,671).
Although this eighth crop lacked numbers, especially colts, and there were no million dollar earners, Muscles Yankee's progeny still managed to average over $100,000 per starter, a great achievement. Eleven foals from this group were exported as well.
Eligible to race - 61
Winners - 32
$1,000,000+ - 0
$750,000+ - 1
$500,000+ - 2
$250,000+ - 5
$100,000+ - 12
1:55 or faster - 7
1:53 or faster - 1
Average earnings per starter $100,152
Average earnings per eligible horse - $72,241
Total earnings to date $4,406,695
Muscles Yankee's tenth crop of foals, were born in 2009 and are New Jersey bred. He bred 184 mares that produced 110 live foals, 47 colts and 63 fillies.
This crop is headed by the millionaire stallion Little Brown Fox 1:51.2 ($1,179,826) who had 42 starts for 12 wins, 10 seconds and 9 thirds. A multiple stakes winner, Little Brown Fox was an exceptional three-year-old, in fact he was one of the best three-year-olds that year.
Little Brown Fox won the $246,521 Simcoe Stakes in 1:51.4. That was a stakes, track and Canadian record clocking. Little Brown Fox's 1:51.4 effort obliterated the stakes record (1:52.4), held by Pastor Stephen 1:52.4s ($1,058,188), along with the track record (1:52.2), co-held by Majestic Son 1:52.2s ($1,993,157), Lucky Chucky 1:50.4 ($2,119,585), Beer Summit 1:52.2s and Prestidigitator 1:52.2s, and Mister Herbie's Canadian record of 1:52.
Watch - Little Brown Fox
He won the $153,000 Stanley Dancer Memorial in 1:51.2 and the $150,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Final. He made a break in the elimination of the $1,500,000 Hambletonian that denied him a start in the Final. He won an elimination of the $1,000,000 Canadian Trot and was beaten a neck by Market Share in the Final. The Muscles Yankee-Malvictorian colt had lifetime earnings just past the $1 million mark as a three-year-old.
In this ninth crop produced by Muscles Yankee there was quite a drop off in top earners but he still left five horses that won over $200,000 including the mares Chilitodayhotmale 1:52 ($326,234) and Talbotcreek Jewely 1:54.3s ($204,079. He also had 16 of the 110 foals born that year that were exported and only one of them had earnings of $54,000 while the rest had little in the way of purses won.
Eligible to race - 109
Winners - 47
$1,000,000+ - 1
$750,000+ - 1
$500,000+ - 1
$250,000+ - 5
$100,000+ - 11
1:55 or faster - 12
1:53 or faster - 3
Average earnings per starter $63,359
Average earnings per eligible horse - $41,852
Total earnings to date $4,561,877
Muscles Yankee's eleventh crop of foals, were born in 2010 and are New Jersey bred. He bred 164 mares that produced 105 live foals, 47 colts and 58 fillies.
Muscles Yankee did it again with this crop and that is produce another millionaire the stallion Corky T3, 1:52.4f ($1,047,806), his 13th millionaire that he has left from the eleventh crops he has produced to date.
Corky won the $500,000 Beal Memorial at Pocono Downs and was third in the $1,000,000 Hambletonian Final to Royalty For Life ($1,628,649) and another son of Muscles Yankee, Smilin Eli T3,1:51.2 ($754,499) who finished second. Smilin Eli is the second richest son of Muscles Yankee in this crop.
Smilin Eli was the New Jersey Sire Stakes Premier Division "Horse of the Year" for 2013. He won all three of his NJSS starts including the $150,000 championship final in a career best and stakes record matching 1:51.2. Unraced at two, Smiin Eli compiled an overall 2013 record of four wins and 11 in-the-money finishes in 14 starts, with four seconds and three thirds. His purses earnings for the year totalled $638,629. In open competition, he was second in the $1 million Hambletonian at The Meadowlands and the $500,000 Colonial at Pocono Downs and third in the $500,000 Breeders Crown Final at Pocono.
Corky and Smilin Eli are both standing at stud in 2015.
Eligible to race - 103
Winners - 50
$1,000,000+ - 1
$750,000+ - 2
$500,000+ - 2
$250,000+ - 3
$100,000+ - 8
1:55 or faster - 7
1:53 or faster - 2
Average earnings per starter $67,885
Average earnings per eligible horse - $45,476
Total earnings to date $4,684,054
Muscles Yankee's twelfth crop of foals, were born in 2011 and are New Jersey bred. He bred 143 mares that produced 75 live foals, 42 colts and 33 fillies.
Muscles Yankee produced the fastest filly in history from this crop. Cee Bee Yes ($534,206) became the fastest sophomore trotting filly in the history of harness racing as she collared former record holder Lifetime Pursuit ($1,074,358) at the wire in 1:50.2, in the $86,700 Bluegrass stakes at The Red Mile in Lexington.
Watch - Cee Bee Yes in the Bluegrass Stakes in a world record
The second richest to Cee Bee Yes in this crop was another filly Scream And Shout T3, 1:53.1f ($310,637) followed by Sumatra T2,1:54.4 ($278,589), Damfoolrmillionair T3,1:54.2s ($218,818), the filly Yoga T2,1:54.4 ($132,343) and the filly Dancing For Monkey T2,1:58.1s ($118,513).
Eligible to race - 73
Winners - 32
$1,000,000+ - 0
$750,000+ - 0
$500,000+ - 1
$250,000+ - 3
$100,000+ - 6
1:55 or faster - 10
1:53 or faster - 2
Average earnings per starter - $46,695
Average earnings per eligible horse - $31,983
Total earnings to date $2,334,765
Muscles Yankee's thirteenth crop of foals, were born in 2012 and are New Jersey bred. He bred 99 mares that produced 49 live foals, 28 colts and 21 fillies.
This crop were two-year-olds in 2014 and as was the case in all previous years Muscles Yankee produced that special horse and in this year it was the outstanding French Laundry 1:54.2s ($318,104) 12 starts for 7 wins, 1 second and 2 thirds. A $115,000 Lexington purchase distinguished himself with a stakes record-equalling 1:56 mile in the first leg of the New Jersey Sire Stakes matching the mark set by Yankee Glide in 1996. He won the $240,500 Kindergarten Classic in 1:54.4 at Vernon Downs and the $124,621 Champlain Stakes at Mohawk Raceway in Canada. French Laundry won his elimination of the $500.000 Breeders Crown and was third
in the Final to Pinkman ($595,835).
Muscles Yankee went on to breed 109 mares in 2012 and 77 in 2013 in North America alone. By frozen semen Muscles Yankee is breeding mares throughout the world and has been regarded as "The Sire of the Decade" for the 2000s.
MUSCLES YANKEE - OVERALL NORTH AMERICAN STATISTICS
Eligible to race - 1163
Winners - 689
$1,000,000+ - 13
$750,000+ - 19
$500,000+ - 31
$250,000+ - 86
$100,000+ - 219
1:55 or faster - 122
1:53 or faster - 25
Average earnings per starter $100,724
Average earning per horse eligible to race - $78,033
Total earnings to date $90,752,705
Muscles Yankee had a total of 229 horses exported from his first 13 crops of which 123 never raced in North America. 45 of his progeny died as well with 30 of those never getting to the racetrack.
COMMENT
Muscles Yankee has led the all-age North American sires list four times and twice had seasonal earnings of over $10 million. He has led the three-year-old sires list four times as well. Muscles Yankee has also led the two-year-old sires list three times. Over the last twelve years Muscles Yankee has made the top ten sires in North America consistently and more recently his outstanding sons Muscle Hill, Muscle Massive and Muscle Mass have also made that top ten list. Muscles Yankee has been an outstanding stallion both for the number of champion trotters he has produced and for the longevity of his siring career. At the age of
twenty when most breeders have moved on to his sons and grandsons, Muscles Yankee is still able to produce horses of the calibre of last season's two year old French Laundry 1:54.2 ($318,104). Not only do the Muscle Yankee's run at two and three but they can race on at a high level for several years after that. Now firmly established as a great sire of sires, Muscle Yankee deserves to be talked about as one of the all time greats.
MUSCLES YANKEE - AUSTRALIAN STALLION CAREER
His frozen semen has been available in Australia for over a decade but has been sparingly used in that time.
In 2004 Muscles Yankee produced 14 foals, 9 colts and 5 fillies for 10 winners for total earnings of $571,248. The best performer from this crop was Lord Of The Gym 1:59.6 ($262,090) who won 21 races in a long career. The next best performer was Gluteus Maximus 1:59.6 ($104,855) who was placed second in both the New South Wales and Victoria Oaks.
In 2005 Muscles Yankee produced 8 foals, 5 colts and 3 fillies for 4 winners for total earnings of $842,431. This crop produced the outstanding Let Me Thru 2:00 ($453,945) who won 19 of just 30 lifetime starts. He won the Australasian Breeders Crown Final at both three and four but arguably his best run was his neck second in the 2011 Inter-Dominion Final to another son of Muscles Yankee in I Can Doosit, in which he had a torrid run. The next best from this crop is Down Under Muscles 2:01.1 ($216,925) who had the misfortune to be born in the same year as Let Me Thru. He ran second to Let Me Thru in several stakes races notably
the $150,000 Australasian Trotting Championship Final and the $50,000 Australasian Breeders Crown 4 year old Final while he was also second in the $158,000 Australasian Breeders Crown 2 year final to another son of Muscles Yankee in Magic Interest. Magic Interest 2:04.7 ($142,063) was the third $100,000 winner from this crop with his best win coming in the $158,000 Australasian Breeders Crown 2 year old Final.
From 2006 until 2011 Muscles Yankee produced just eight live foals in Australia and only one, Kyvalley Lily ($1,000) made it to the track.
OVERALL STATISTICS FOR AUSTRALIA
Foals three-year-olds and older - 30, Winners 14, for total earnings of $1,414,677
COMMENT
From just the 30 foals three-year-old and older, Muscles Yankee produced five $100,000 plus winners which in Australia is a great achievement. Let Me Thru looked every bit a potential champion before injury cut short his outstanding career after just 30 starts. What is really surprising after such a great start to his career down under with his first two small crops, is that the breeders have more or less ignored Muscles Yankee. He does have seven two year olds this season but with his record from those first two crops, those numbers since 2006 should be way higher.
MUSCLES YANKEE - NEW ZEALAND STALLION CAREER
The oldest crop are ten-year-olds and why he had good numbers in the first year he was available down under, they fell away quickly after that which given the record he has in New Zealand is surprising.
10 year olds - Foals 41 - Qualifiers 29 - Winners 23
This was a very good start to his siring career in New Zealand with 23 winners from only 41 foals. The standout was undoubtedly Sky Valley 1:56.4 ($322,675) who was a star in Australia and is now doing a great job at stud there. Other smart performers included horses such as Snow's Big Boy ($215,308) Cyclone Jake ($175,262) Burano ($109,381) and Yankee One ($65,698).
9 year olds - Foals 19 - Qualifiers 13 - Winners 12
This crop produced one of the best trotters ever seen in the Southern Hemisphere, I Can Doosit 1:55.5 ($1,445,774) who was nigh on unbeatable at his peak and but for a career ending injury would have rewritten the record books down under. Others to show up from this crop were Life of the Party ($81,704) and Independence Day ($56,735).
Watch - Inter Dominion 2012 Final. I Can Doosit
8 year olds - Foals 3 - Qualifiers 2 - Winners 2
Even though this crop only numbered three foals it still produced the very smart age group trotter Miami H ($141,035) and Harry Johnson ($44,597)
7 year olds - Foals 1 - Qualifiers 1 - Winners 1
The one and only foal from this crop was the handy trotter Yankee Doosie ($43,999)
No 6 year olds
5 year olds - Foals 8 - Qualifiers 5 - Winners 1
From another small crop Muscles Yankee produced the good trotter Saratoga $64,582
4 year olds - Foals 4 - Qualifiers 2 - Winners 2
From this small crop of just four he produced the Derby winner Twentyten ($194,019) and a promising trotter in Cyberspace ($25,688)
3 year olds - Foals 4 - Qualifiers 1 - Winners 0
Just one qualifier to date from this crop of four
2 year olds - Foals 6 - Qualifiers 2 - Winners 2
It is very early for the two year old trotters in New Zealand but two early winners who look very promising are High Gait (unbeaten in three starts) and Gershwin who finished one two in the recent New Zealand Sires Stakes heat in a 2:00.7 mile rate which is a New Zealand record.
Overall statistics - Foals 86 - Qualifiers 55 - Winners 43 - Stakes $3,572,863
Muscles Yankee has done a brilliant job in New Zealand. He has a "winners to live foals percentage" of 50% which is outstanding in the New Zealand market. He has sired a string of top horses capped off by an absolute champion in I Can Doosit ($1,445,774). What is surprising given his record is the low numbers of mares he has served over the years and continues to serve in New Zealand. Muscles Yankee has nothing left to prove in this Country.
POSITIVES
Has got a lot of positives as his overall record shows. He can leave both fillies and colts of the highest class and they are tough and durable as well. Has been successful worldwide in leaving champion racehorses who are now making making their mark as sires. With his daughters also showing up in the broodmare ranks, he seems to have all the bases covered.
NEGATIVES
It is hard to knock the horse on any front in our opinion. Southern Hemisphere breeders would have loved Muscles Yankee to have come down in the flesh but his popularity in Europe has made that impossible.
OVERVIEW
A great stallion who has had a fantastic career at stud and whose influence will be felt for years to come worldwide. Muscles Yankee ticks all the boxes for us and is one of those once in a generation stallions that lift the whole breed to a new level. In our opinion Muscles Yankee has the best record of a trotting stallion that we have reviewed to date.
OVERALL RATING
|
