Campbellville, ON --- Even before he added the Hambletonian to his list of triumphs, double millionaire Muscle Hill was being called the season's most impressive 3-year-old. The young trotter has utterly dominated his division, with just one second-place performance in his first lifetime start to mar his otherwise flawless record of 15 consecutive wins in 16 tries.

Lisa photo

Muscle Hill will be looking for his 16th straight victory in the Canadian Trotting Classic eliminations.

Muscle Hill will be making his first appearance on Mohawk's seven-eighths-mile oval this Saturday, Sept. 12, contesting a C$40,000 elimination for the C$1 million Canadian Trotting Classic on Sept. 19. His highly-anticipated arrival rivals that of the virtually unbeatable Deweycheatumnhowe in 2008, and it's all the sweeter for Canadian fans that the colt's trainer, Greg Peck, has Maritime roots.

"He will be arriving on Thursday from Lexington," says Peck. "We drew post nine in the first of the two eliminations, but that doesn't bother me; he's gone very well all his life and sooner or later you're going to get an outside post."

If the son of Muscles Yankee delivers another of his characteristically crushing performances this weekend, post position won't be an issue as Peck will be able to select his for the seven-figure final.

"After Operation Hambletonian, we wanted to give him a lighter schedule," Peck adds, "but the Canadian Trotting Classic was always on our radar. It really ought to be Canada's Hambletonian. It's the premier race north of the border for trotters."

Muscle Hill's most recent start was in the World Trotting Derby on Sept. 5, an event he won by a length over Southern Rocketop with an unfamiliar driver (Welshman Luke McCarthy) at the lines. The race was delayed by several hours after heavy rain made soup out of the Du Quoin, Illinois clay track, but after crews worked tirelessly on the surface all afternoon, the result was miraculous, Peck says, and the effort took no more than usual out of his superstar colt.

"It was an anxious few hours watching them work", he admits, "and at one point it looked like the race wouldn't go at all, so I couldn't blame (Muscle Hill's regular driver) Brian Sears for heading up to Mohawk (where he won a division of the Simcoe Stakes with Neighsay Hanover, as well as the Metro Pace consolation with Dr Dreamy).

"Muscle Hill is pretty user-friendly, so the driver change didn't rattle him. But Brian has been with him from day one, so it will be nice to have him back on board for Saturday."

Saturday night's star-studded card at Mohawk will also feature North America Cup winner Well Said, making his first start on the Campbellville oval since that night in a division of the Simcoe Stakes, and last week's Metro Pace champion Sportswriter, who will go postward in a division of the Champlain Stakes.

Below are the fields for the Canadian Trotting Classic eliminations.

1st elimination
Post-Driver-Trainer
1-Reinsman Hanover-S. Filion-R. Moreau                                     
2-Truth In Action-TBA-B. Burgess                                    
3-Tom Cango-J. Campbell-J. Campbell                                   
4-Howd That Feel-J. Moiseyev-M. Butcher                                    
5-Duded Up-S. Condren-E. Iversen                                    
6-Cesar A Blue Chip-J. Campbell-M. Vanderkemp                                 
7-Photoforwin-R. Beinhauer-R. Beinhauer                                  
8-Select Yankee-D. Miller-J. Czernyson                                  
9-Muscle Hill-B. Sears-G. Peck 

2nd elimination
Post-Driver-Trainer
1-Explosive Matter-R. Pierce-M. Vanderkemp                                 
2-Neighsay Hanover-B. Sears-T. Smedshammer                                
3-P J Clark-A. Miller-J. Miller                                     
4-Winning Mister-TBA-J. Arledge                                    
5-Judge Joe-J. Campbell-J. Takter                                     
6-Southern Rocketop-D. Magee-R. Taylor                                     
7-Senator Hall-D. Ackerman-D. Ackerman                                   
8-Hot Shot Blue Chip-M. Lachance-J. Czernyson                                  
9-Airzoom Lindy-TBA-F. Antonacci