Hightstown, NJ — Endurance is a advantage within the harness racing breeding enterprise, which Richard Arnold absolutely appreciates. Arnold spent greater than a decade constructing a profitable cattle farm in Tennessee, and many years later, added a Standardbred breeding operation at his Willow Oak Ranch.
He bought his first yearling, a trotting filly named Mississippi Magnificence, in 2010. When her racing profession was lower brief by damage, she turned an early member of the Willow Oak Ranch broodmare band. Her first foal was Mississippi Storm, a Grand Circuit-winner of almost $900,000. Her subsequent was the filly Cardinale, who after her profession on the monitor ended, remained with Arnold and was bred to Muscle Hill.
The ensuing colt, Mars Hill, competes Friday for Willow Oak Ranch within the $420,000 Peter Haughton Memorial for 2-year-old male trotters at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Mars Hill, who could have Todd McCarthy within the sulky for coach Tony Alagna, has received three of 5 races and earned $144,330. He heads to the Haughton off a second-place end behind T C I within the William Wellwood Memorial.
T C I, from the steady of coach Ron Burke, is the 6-5 morning-line favourite within the Haughton. Mars Hill is the 9-2 third alternative behind Marcus Melander-trained Safety Protected at 3-1.
Mars Hill’s victories embrace two preliminary rounds of the New Jersey Sire Stakes and his Wellwood elimination.
“He’s a pleasant, trustworthy horse,” Arnold stated. “He’s an even bigger model of Mississippi Storm. When he races, he appears like him. If you ask him, he lowers his head and digs in. That’s type of the character the second dam had, and most of her colts have been that method. So, we knew he would have some willpower, and he’s obtained some expertise and he’s obtained a very good gait. Hopefully, he’ll simply hold getting higher.
“Tony has appreciated him from the start. There’s numerous actually good 2-year-old trotting colts on the market, and thankfully, he’s one among them. We’re simply pleased to look at him race.”
Mars Hill is known as after a small city in western North Carolina.
“Our daughter lives close to there and it’s near a spot that we wish to go to for lunch along with her,” Arnold stated. “I simply thought it might be a extremely cool identify for a Muscle Hill son.”
Arnold took his time getting concerned in breeding racehorses, a lot as he did when he began his cattle farm within the early Eighties. He tries to maintain his broodmare group to round 20 horses, predominately homebred.
Willow Oak Ranch additionally bred 3-year-old trotter Osceola, a starter on this yr’s Hambletonian and standout on the Ontario circuit for coach Gregg McNair.
“You probably have any type of plan, it takes 10 or extra years to implement it as a result of it takes some time to see what’s working and get the animals you need,” Arnold stated. “It’s a enjoyable enterprise, however it’s a must to be in it for the lengthy haul. No matter it takes, it takes, and it’s a must to be prepared to attend on them. Nature refuses to rush up.
“That’s actually the toughest a part of this enterprise as a result of all of us wish to see outcomes as quickly as we are able to. That’s pure, that’s human nature. That’s the place being within the cattle enterprise helped me as a result of it took us about 12 years to get the type of bulls we would have liked. You possibly can’t get in an excessive amount of of a rush as a result of the horses don’t care.”
Arnold is having fun with the expertise with Mars Hill, whose stakes schedule the rest of the season might embrace the Madison County, Bluegrass and Worldwide Stallion stakes, Breeders Crown, and Valley Victory.
“I’ve had only a few horses at this stage, however if you get to this stage, there’s numerous variables as a result of they’re all good,” Arnold stated. “They’ve all obtained pace, they’ve all obtained expertise, so that you want slightly luck and your drivers and trainers getting them in the fitting place.
“We’re simply pleased he can compete in a few of these higher races. I like being concerned with aggressive animals, and he’s a aggressive horse, so it’s numerous enjoyable.”
The Haughton is a part of a 14-race card at Hoosier Park that additionally contains the $400,000 Jim Doherty Memorial for 2-year-old feminine trotters. The Haughton and Doherty have been held beforehand at The Meadowlands.
As was the case final yr, the Haughton and Doherty will supply “Win and You’re In” standing for the 2023 Breeders Crown. The official winner of every race, if Breeders Crown eligible as of June 1, will advance on to their respective closing, with no beginning payment, and the chance to attract for publish one by means of 5.
This yr’s Breeders Crown will probably be hosted by Hoosier Park in late October.
Racing begins at 6:15 p.m. (EDT) at Hoosier Park. The Doherty is race 10 and the Haughton is race 12. At no cost every day packages, go to the monitor’s web site.
For full race entries, click on right here: US Trotting entries.
by Ken Weingartner, for the USTA
