Yankee Blondie, a daughter of American Winner-Yankee Bambi (a full sister to the talented TV Yankee) bred by Yankeeland Farms and owned by fellow Marylanders Winbak Farm, had a so-so career on the racetrack, but has stamped herself in harness immortality by producing the Muscles Yankee colt Muscle Hill.
The “cheapest” $55,000 the TLP Stable and Jerry Silva ever spent on a yearling, Muscle Hill was 8-for-9 as a baby, and then this year, adding Southwind Farm and Muscle Hill Racing LLC as partners with an eye towards stud syndication, Muscle Hill was perfect in 12 starts, earning over $2.4 million and winning virtually every major sophomore colt trotting stake, such as the Hambletonian (in a Hambo fastest-ever 1:50.1), Canadian Trotting Classic, Kentucky Futurity and Breeders Crown.
Muscle Hill, likely to become the first trotter to be unbeaten in his Horse of the Year season, will start his stud career next season at Southwind Farm.
Must See, a daughter of Artsplace out of the grand mare Grand Lady, who is still co-owned by breeders Fair Winds Farm, Inc. with Steve Jones, was no slouch on the track, winning almost $500,000. But she was outdone in 2009 by her iron-tough son Well Said, who completed the rare North America Cup – Meadowlands Pace – Little Brown Jug “triple” among his 10 victories, which netted him just shy of $2 million.
Well Said’s exploits caught the eye of many people – he will stand at stud at Hanover in 2009, and his Rocknroll Hanover sister, Look And Listen, fetched a $300,000 bid at Harrisburg.
The connections of Yankee Blondie and Must See will be honored at the USHWA annual awards dinner, to be held Sunday, February 28 at Yonkers Raceway.