Goshen, NY --- The Living Horse Hall of Fame nominating committee of the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame has announced the results of recent balloting to determine the 2016 inductees into the Harness Racing Living Horse Hall of Fame. Annual members (in good standing) voted for the two horses they felt best exemplified greatness. Their choices are racehorses Muscle Hill and Real Desire.
The other nominees were Credit Winner, Mr Muscleman and Yankee Glide.
Broodmare Arl’s Troublemaker will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame, having met the qualifications for broodmares.
Muscle Hill, Real Desire and Arl’s Troublemaker will be inducted on Hall of Fame Day (July 3). The ceremonies honoring these extraordinary Standardbred horses will take place during the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame’s annual dinner. For information on the Hall of Fame weekend and other festivities surrounding this important occasion visit www.harnessmuseum.com from April 2016 onward or call or write the Museum at 240 Main Street, Goshen, NY 10924. Phone: 845.294.6330.
Standardbreds are eligible for nomination to harness racing’s highest accolade only if they comply with the following strict criteria: They must be retired from racing for five years and had a drug-free career. In addition, racehorses must have won 75 percent of their lifetime starts, or gone undefeated in a single season campaign of 12 or more races, or been the winner of $3 million lifetime or named Harness Horse of the Year (US and/or Canada).
Stallions must rank among the 10 all-time leading money-winning sires at their gait or have sired at least 100 $200,000 winners or been a leading money-winning sire at his gait in three or more seasons.
Broodmares are automatically elected if they have produced a $1 million winner and two other winners of $500,000 or produced a Harness Horse of the Year (US and/or Canada) and another $500,000 winner.
The 2016 Living Horse Hall of Fame inductees
(nominated as racehorse)
2,1:53.3; 3,1:50.1 ($3,273,342) Bay Horse, 2006
(Muscles Yankee – Yankee Blondie – American Winner)
World champion trotter Muscle Hill raced in 2008-2009 and owns a lifetime record of 21-20-1-0. He continues to rank as the leading single-season moneywinning Standardbred ($2,456,041) of all time.
Muscle Hill finished second in his freshman debut, a New Jersey Sire Stakes event, but never lost another race. Major 2-year-old wins included the Peter Haughton Memorial, Bluegrass, International Stallion Stakes and the Breeders Crown, where he set a world record 1:53.3 for 2-year-old trotting colts on a mile track. Muscle Hill finished the season with earnings of $817,301 and was voted 2008 Dan Patch 2-year-old Trotting Colt of the Year.
Muscle Hill was undefeated in 12 starts as a 3-year-old in 2009. Major victories included the Hambletonian, Canadian Trotting Classic, Breeders Crown, World Trotting Derby, Kentucky Futurity and American-National. His world record-equaling Hambletonian (1:50.1) is still the fastest ever. Muscle Hill’s efforts earned him the titles of 2009 Dan Patch and O’Brien Horse of the Year, Dan Patch Trotter of the Year, and 2009 Dan Patch and O’Brien 3-year-old Trotting Colt of the Year. Muscle Hill was the first trotter to win Horse of the Year after an unbeaten season.With three crops racing, Muscle Hill has sired the winners of more than $14 million, including 2014 Hambletonian winner Trixton 3,1:50.3 ($947,057) and Breeders Crown and Hambletonian elimination winner, world champion Mission Brief 2,1:50.3 ($1,426,687).