With all the shuttle and frozen semen stallions available to New Zealand breeders these days, it should come as no surprise that the odd jewel seems to slip through the net and fail to find a spot in the ultra competitive harness racing stallion market.
One example that stands out for us in the trotting stallion market is Muscle Mass 1:53.4 ($229,000).
Unbeaten in seven starts at two, Muscle Mass took his lifetime mark at just his second lifetime start but was lightly tried at three due to injury issues.
With the ability he had showed at two and the fact his full brother Muscle Massive was becoming a star at the same time, Muscle Mass was given an opportunity at stud and he has grabbed it with both hands.
Muscle Mass is bred to be well above average being a son of the great Muscles Yankee from the smart Pine Chip mare in Graceful Touch 1:56.1 ($192,001) who has also produced the brilliant Muscle Massive 1:51 ($1,245,297) and Thatsnotmyname 1:55 ($340,730)
The grand dam of Muscle Mass is the talented Valley Victory mare in Act Of Grace 1:52.3 ($403,525) who only left two live foals in Graceful Touch and her full brother Cabol 1:54 ($417,457).
A sign of the strength of the maternal family is that Cabol made $290,000 at auction.
Available to New Zealand breeders in 2009-2010 via frozen semen, Muscle Mass served just 14 mares which resulted in just five live foals which are now five year olds to New Zealand time.
One of those died at three, leaving just four live foals and all of them were fillies but that didn't stop them making their mark down under.
All four have won to date and they have not been one win wonders as you see below.
* K D Muscles ($58,667) * Zhenya ($50,137)
* Mass Invasion ($30,862) * Schleck ($16,489)
Due to the great results of that small crop, Muscle Mass was offered once again to New Zealand breeders in the 2012-2013 season via fresh semen this time and served a reasonable book of 71 mares which produced 55 live foals which are now two year olds.
Several are already showing up around the country at trials and workouts and in tonights two year old non tote trot at Addington, Muscle Mass has three of the six runners.
Winnie McGoogan from the Phil Williamson barn is held in high regard by the stable while the Roddy Butt trained Custodian impressed behind Regal Love at Rangiora recently.
However after that second season here, Muscle Mass has once again been left on the shelf in North America which is a real shame going by his results up there as Muscle Mass continues to rise further up the sires charts with every crop.
His progeny have now earned over $13,577,000 with 33 $100,000 winners and 22 in 1:55 and through all of that, his service fee has crept up to the point that it now stands at $7,500 in the present season.
Without doubt this is a sire we should have been seeing a lot more of in the Southern Hemisphere and lets hope next season the deal can be done that makes that happen.
Harnesslink Media
