On Saturday, December 10 at the Meadowlands Racetrack, Muscle Diamond, who finished third in the Breeders Crown in 2015, will return to action for the first time in 13 months.
Muscle Diamond, a four-year-old son of Muscle Hill will face eight others in the night’s $18,000 featured trotting event, which has been carded as the night’s seventh of 13 races.
The six-time winner will resurface after a stakes-laden sophomore campaign, which culminated in a third-place finish in the $500,000 Breeders Crown and a fourth-place effort in the $204,000 American National, both behind The Bank. Regular driver John Campbell is back aboard the Brett Bittle trainee after a sharp qualifier on November 18. Muscle Diamond, installed the 5-1 third choice in the morning line, will begin from Post 4.
Another contender that will be making a return appearance in the field is Danish Durango, the 9-2 early second choice. The four-year-old Andover Hall horse was last seen in August, when he posted a 1:52.1 mile to just miss Its Huw You Know in a similar event. David Miller will be back in the bike behind the 12-time winner for trainer Kevin McDermott.
A pair of stakes-proven distaffers in Classical Annie and Kelseys Keepsake figure to be prominent in the highly competitive feature as well. Classical Annie, a four-year-old daughter of Andover Hall, was narrowly outdone by B Yoyo in last week’s top trotting event after a fourth-place finish behind Hannelore Hanover in the $200,000 TVG Final in November. Jim Marohn Jr. will step in to handle the driving assignment of the 3-1 morning line favourite for Ron Burke.
Kelseys Keepsake will return from Yonkers Raceway after having stayed on for fourth in a Preferred event over a mile and a quarter last week. Like Classical Annie, the Yankee Glide mare worked forward belatedly in the TVG, gaining from last to save fifth. Joe Bongiorno has retained the drive for trainer Richard Johnson.
A pair of $13,000 fourth-level pacing events, carded as Race 4 and Race 6, serve as supporting events on the card and also comprise half of the night’s early Pick 4 sequence. A combined $105,000 in guaranteed pools awaits players in the 50-cent Pick 5 and a pair of Pick 4 wagers spread across the program. First post is slated for 7:15 p.m. Eastern.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)