By Ken Weingartner, Special Writer
When Jimmy Takter won the $437,000 Merrie Annabelle Stakes with his 2-year-old filly trotter Thatsnotmyname on Aug. 7 at the Meadowlands Racetrack, he might have felt like he finally captured his great white whale.
Several races later, he reeled in an even bigger fish.
That is because Takter’s Muscle Massive chased down favorite Lucky Chucky in the stretch to win the $1.5 million Hambletonian before a crowd in excess of 27,000 at the Big M. It was Takter’s second win in the Hambletonian — the world’s premier trotting race for 3-year-olds — and was part of a memorable afternoon for the East Windsor resident.
The victory in the Merrie Annabelle ended more than two decades of frustration for Takter. The trainer had never visited the winner’s circle for the race, and since 1988 had horses finish second on eight occasions. Thatsnotmyname won in a track and stakes record 1:55.
”This is the race I really wanted to win; it was one of the races left for me to win,” Takter said. “I think (Thatsnotmyname) is a heck of a horse. She’s probably one of the better 2-year-olds at this point that’s ever been. She’s just fantastic. She went a track record; it was a hell of a performance.”
Thatsnotmyname has won three of four races this year and earned $335,250. She also is a half sister to Takter’s Hambletonian champion Muscle Massive.
Muscle Massive, who was the fourth choice in the betting, defeated Lucky Chucky by a half-length in 1:51. The time was the second-fastest Hambletonian in history.
”I knew when he warmed up nobody could beat him,” said driver Ron Pierce, who lives in Millstone and won the Hambletonian for the third time. “Jimmy told me last year we were aiming for one race this year.”
Muscle Massive, who was purchased as a yearling for $425,000, won just several weeks after suffering a strained muscle in his back.
”He was purchased as one of those perfect horses,” said Takter, who won the 1997 Hambletonian with Malabar Man. “We paid a lot of money for him as a baby and we looked him up and we knew he had great potential. As soon as I sat behind him, the first day, I knew he was special.”
Muscle Massive won for the fourth time in eight tries this year, and sixth time in 14 career starts. He has won $995,192 in his career.
A son of Muscles Yankee and the mare Graceful Touch, Muscle Massive was bred in New Jersey by Cream Ridge’s Perretti Farms. The victory by Muscle Massive produced a three-peat for his sire. Muscles Yankee, the 1998 Hambletonian winner, has consecutive victories with his sons Deweycheatumnhowe in 2008, Muscle Hill in 2009 and Muscle Massive in 2010.
”You’ve got to give credit to the horse mostly,” Takter said. “Ronnie did a great job; he drove the horse with confidence and as soon as he came out, I could see him at the top of the stretch and that there was a big possibility to pass Lucky Chucky.”
Takter capped his day with Rockin Image winning a $115,500 division of the Oliver Wendell Holmes for 3-year-old male pacers.

