Integration Looks to Stay Perfect in Hill Prince

West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing's Integration (Quality Road), a fast-closing upset winner of the GIII Virginia Derby at second asking Sept. 9, will put his perfect record on the line in Saturday's GII Hill Prince S. at Aqueduct.

The $700,000 FTSAUG yearling graduate earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure while defeating GI Saratoga Derby Invitational winner Program Trading (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in the Colonial Downs centerpiece.

“I thought he ran really good [last time],” trainer Shug McGaughey said. “I didn't know what to expect. It's not my style to run a maiden winner back in a stake, but it looked like the time to take a chance and it worked out.”

The Hill Prince field of nine also includes a trio from the Chad Brown barn. Equitize (GB) (Kingman {GB}) returns from the bench following a debut win on the Tampa grass back in March; the streaking Faraday (Ghostzapper), who enters off a narrow Kentucky Downs allowance score Sept. 10; and last year's GII Pilgrim S. runner-up 'TDN Rising Star' I'm Very Busy (Cloud Computing), who ended a five-race losing streak with an allowance win at the Big A Oct. 4.

Saturday's graded stakes action also includes the GIII Chilukki S. at Churchill Downs and the GII Kennedy Road S. at Woodbine.

The post Integration Looks to Stay Perfect in Hill Prince appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Never Surprised Needs To ‘Settle And Relax’ In Saturday’s Hill Prince Stakes

Repole Stable's Never Surprised will make his third start at graded stakes level in Saturday's 46th running of the Grade 2, $400,000 Hill Prince for 3-year-olds going nine furlongs over the Belmont Park inner turf.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Never Surprised has never been worse than second and arrives at the Hill Prince off a runner-up effort in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Saranac on September 4 at Saratoga Race Course.

The bay son of third-crop sire Constitution set the pace in the Saranac, finishing second beaten a length to returning rival Public Sector. The effort was his first start off an eight-month layoff, where he was second in his 2021 bow in the Grade 3 Kitten's Joy on January 30 at Gulfstream Park.

During his juvenile season, Never Surprised was a 3 ½-length winner on debut going six furlongs over the Aqueduct outer turf en route to a score in the 1 1/16-mile Central Park over good Big A turf.

Pletcher said a more settled journey could lead to recapturing winning form.

“He's a natural speed horse and he's aggressive,” Pletcher said. “The key to success would be for him to be able to settle and relax enough to get the mile and an eighth.”

Never Surprised has trained forwardly over the Oklahoma training turf at Saratoga posting three bullet works, the most recent being a half-mile move in 47.55 seconds on October 15.

“I thought he ran really well off the layoff. It was a strong race and he put in a good effort,” Pletcher said. “I think he'll be able to move forward second time off the layoff. He's been working really well since then. He doesn't seem to mind any kind of ground. The main thing is being able to settle a little bit.”

Pletcher previously teamed up with Repole to capture the 2013 Hill Prince with Notacatbutallama.

Kendrick Carmouche, aboard for both victories last year, will be reunited with Never Surprised from post 10.

In seeking his first graded stakes conquest, Never Surprised will face a familiar foe in Public Sector.

One of three entrants for trainer Chad Brown, the bay son of Kingman captured the Saranac off a ground-saving trip down the backstretch before making a sweeping three-wide move in upper stretch to win by one length.

Four weeks earlier in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame on August 6 at Saratoga, Public Sector received a similar winning trip when a more distant fourth toward the inside, but maintained his hedge-riding position down the stretch to garner a one-length victory.

Public Sector was second in the Grade 2 Pilgrim last October at Belmont before finishing 12th in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf five weeks later at Keeneland.

A victory would provide owner Klaravich Stables with their fourth Hill Prince with three different trainers after scoring with Subordination [1997; Gary Sciacca] and Outperformance [2006; Rick Violette, Jr.]. Brown and Klaravich joined forces with 2015 victor Takeover Target.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will ride Public Sector from post 9.

Brown also will saddle Peter Brant's Sifting Sands, who makes his graded stakes debut following a win in the restricted Better Talk Now on August 29 at Saratoga.

The blue-blooded Dubawi bay colt put together two game off-the-pace triumphs at the Spa this summer. Prior to his last out coup, Sifting Sands lit up the tote board at 28-1 odds in an allowance optional claimer on July 14.

The Hill Prince will be the first start at nine furlongs for both Public Sector and Sifting Sands.

“They're both coming into the race the right way,” said Brown assistant Dan Stupp. “Distance wise, at this point in their campaign, I don't see a mile and an eighth being any issue for them. They're both rock solid horses.”

Sifting Sands kicked off his career with a distant sixth as the favorite in a Saratoga turf maiden special weight last September. He found the win column next out in his sophomore debut on March 13 at Tampa Bay Downs.

“He's a horse they liked at two. He's just a late-developing 3-year-old turf colt that I think will continue to get better the more we do with him,” Stupp said. “By every indication in the morning, I expect a good effort.”

A $645,273 purchase from the 2019 Tattersalls October Sale, Sifting Sands is a half-brother to three-time winning Group 1-winning millionaire Legatissamo. Both are out of the Montjeu mare Yummy Mummy – a half-sister to 2010 Irish Derby winner Fame and Glory.

Leaving from post 8, Sifting Sands will be ridden by Manny Franco, who has engineered winning trips in his last two starts.

“Manny obviously gets along with him very well. They have confidence in each other,” Stupp said.

Rounding out Brown's contingent is Founder, who found stakes success two starts back in the Tale of the Cat traveling 1 1/16-miles over firm turf on July 31 at Monmouth Park.

Owned by Jeff Drown and Don Rachel, the son of second-crop sire Upstart made his first four starts on dirt, graduating at first asking over subsequent graded stakes-winning stablemate Highly Motivated last summer at the Spa. He enters off a fifth in the Saranac.

Jose Ortiz will ride from post 4.

[Story Continues Below]

Trainer Christophe Clement will saddle Solider Rising, who will see a considerable cutback in ground following a second-place finish in the 12-furlong Jockey Club Derby Invitational.

Never worse than second in a half-dozen lifetime starts, Solider Rising was initially campaigned in France by Andre Fabre and made his debut for Clement when a rallying second in the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational on August 7.

Soldier Rising, a bay son of Frankel, boasts the highest bankroll in the field with $419,481 in lifetime earnings. He is owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Morris Bailey, Wonder Stables and Michael J. Caruso.

A victory would put Clement on even terms with Hall of Famer Bill Mott for most Hill Prince scores, following past success with champion Gio Ponti [2008], Summer Front [2012], and Have At It [2018].

Joel Rosario will pick up the mount from post 11.

Completing the field are starter allowance runner-up Hilliard [post 1, Eric Cancel]; Jockey Club Derby third-place finisher Slicked Back [post 2, Luis Saez]; graded-stakes placed It Can Be Done [post 3, Jose Lezcano]; stakes-winner War Bomber [post 5, Dylan Davis], graded-stakes placed Original [post 6, Javier Castellano] – the winner of the Manila at Belmont two starts back; and New Jersey-bred stakes winner He'spuregold [post 7, Edwin Gonzalez].

The Hill Prince is carded as Race 9 on Saturday's 10-race program, which also features the Grade 3, $200,000 Noble Damsel for fillies and mares on the grass in Race 8. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

The Hill Prince honors Christopher Chenery's 1950 Horse of the Year, who captured that year's Preakness Stakes, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Wood Memorial and American Derby. Hill Prince finished behind Middleground in that year's Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. A three-time stakes winner at two, Hill Prince was named Champion 2-Year-Old in 1949 and Champion Older Horse in 1951. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 1991.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

The post Never Surprised Needs To ‘Settle And Relax’ In Saturday’s Hill Prince Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Decorated Invader Turns Back for Hill Prince

West Point Thoroughbreds, William Sandbrook, William Freeman and Cheryl Manning’s Decorated Invader (Declaration of War), a close fifth as the 4-5 favorite in the 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Derby last time Aug. 15, resurfaces in Sunday’s GII Hill Prince S. at Belmont Park.

Last term’s GI Summer S. winner and unlucky GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf fourth-place finisher kicked off his sophomore campaign with three straight ultra-impressive victories, including Belmont’s GII Pennine Ridge S. at this same one-mile distance June 20 and Saratoga’s GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. July 18.

“He didn’t run great going a mile and three sixteenths, but he only got beat three quarters of a length,” West Point’s Terry Finley said. “He’s getting a bit of a breather here. He’s been at it once a month pretty much since the end of March when he made his 3-year-old debut and [trainer] Christophe [Clement] and his staff have done a great job with the horse.”

Decorated Invader is the even-money morning-line favorite for the Hill Prince.

The speedy Get Smokin (Get Stormy) figures to be on the engine once again from his rail draw. He was a good second after opening a lengthy early lead in the Hall of Fame, and most recently tired to eighth after setting the pace in the Saratoga Derby.

Buy Land and See (Cairo Prince), last fall’s Awad S. winner over this same course and distance, enters off a third-place finish going 5 1/2 furlongs in Saratoga’s Mahony S. Aug. 26.

The post Decorated Invader Turns Back for Hill Prince appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Decorated Invader Cuts Back In Distance For Sunday’s Hill Prince Stakes

West Point Thoroughbreds, William Sandbrook, William Freeman and Cheryl Manning's Decorated Invader will see a cutback in distance when competing against fellow sophomores in Sunday's 46th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Hill Prince going one mile over the Widener turf at Belmont Park.

Trained by Christophe Clement, who saddled Have At It [2018], Summer Front [2012] and subsequent multiple-champion Gio Ponti [2008] to Hill Prince triumphs, Decorated Invader arrives off a close fifth-place finish in the Saratoga Derby on August 15. The son of Declaration of War tracked in second position and made a three-wide bid at the top of the stretch before engaging in a stretch battle while in-between horses, but was overtaken inside the sixteenth pole to finish three-quarters of a length back to winner Domestic Spending.

The Saratoga Derby was the first loss of the year for Decorated Invader, who captured the Cutler Bay on March 28 at Gulfstream Park in his 2020 bow before winning the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge on June 20 at Belmont Park and the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame on July 18 at Saratoga.

Decorated Invader will be cutting back to one mile for the Hill Prince.

“He didn't run great going a mile and three sixteenths, but he only got beat three-quarters of a length,” said Terry Finley of West Point Thoroughbreds. “We aren't necessarily thinking about going past 1 1/8 miles because it's not in front of us at the moment. With Christophe, Gio Ponti is a good comparable. He was an incredibly talented horse and Christophe and the owner [Castleton Lyons] did a great job in managing him. The good thing with these types of horses is that you have good comparables. You can see the good moves and the ones that didn't work.”

During his 2-year-old campaign, Decorated Invader scored a breakthrough win in the Grade 1 Summer last September over a yielding turf at Woodbine, which came after a second-out maiden victory over the Mellon turf at Saratoga over next-out winner and eventual graded stakes-placed Summer to Remember.

“He's getting a bit of a breather here,” Finley said. “He's been at it once a month pretty much since the end of March when he made his 3-year-old debut and Christophe and his staff have done a great job with the horse.”

Finley praised sire Declaration of War for producing quality runners. In addition to Decorated Invader, the fourth crop sire by War Front has produced Grade 1 winner Gufo, also conditioned by Clement, as well as stakes winners Peace Achieved, Silver Prospector and Shesonthewarpath.

“Declaration of War's progeny have been winning everywhere,” Finley said. “They show brilliance, but it seems like they're durable on top of that. You're in a good spot when you have those two things.”

With three graded stakes victories and a record of 8-5-1-0, Decorated Invader boasts the highest amount of lifetime earnings in the field with $473,035.

Jockey Joel Rosario will target his fourth stakes victory of the meet aboard Decorated Invader, who drew post 3.

Mary Abeel Sullivan Revocable Trust's Get Smokin commanded the pace in the Saratoga Derby and seeks his first stakes victory for trainer Tom Bush.

Sure to show speed, the front-running son of Get Stormy broke his maiden last September going one mile over the Widener turf and has since been stakes-placed four times. Two starts after his maiden win, he made his sophomore debut in the Grade 3 Kitten's Joy on Jan. 4 at Gulfstream Park, where he attempted to wire the field at 11-1 odds but ended up finishing a half-length back to Island Commish.

Following another pair of stakes placings at Gulfstream Park in the Dania Beach on Feb. 1 and the March 28 Cutler Bay, Get Smokin was second in the Hall of Fame to Decorated Invader, where he established a 7 ¼-length lead before ultimately being overtaken by the winner at the top of the stretch.

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano will ride from post 1.

After sending Buy Land and See to Belmont Park to a victory last October in the Awad, trainer Steve Klesaris will seek another stakes triumph on the NYRA circuit with the Pennsylvania-bred son of Cairo Prince.

Owned and bred by Joseph Imbessi, the lightly-raced Buy Land and See did not race again after the Awad until July 28, where he bested his Pennsylvania-bred counterparts going 7 ½ furlongs over the Parx turf by 5 ¼ lengths and registered an 84 Beyer Speed Figure for the win. In his most recent start, he cut back to 5 ½ furlongs for the Mahony at Saratoga, where he closed late to get third, beaten 4 ¾ lengths to frontrunning winner Jack and Noah.

Jockey Jose Lezcano will be in the irons from post 7.

Rounding out the field are Glynn County [post 2, Jose Ortiz], Bodecream [post 4, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], Starting Over [post 5, Dylan Davis], Chocolate Bar [post 6, Kendrick Carmouche], and Assiduously [post 9, Luis Saez]. Money Moves [post 8, Luis Saez] entered for main track only.

The Hill Prince honors Christopher T. Chenery's 1950 Horse of the Year, who scored victories in that year's Preakness Stakes, Jockey Club Gold Cup and Wood Memorial. Trained by Casey Hayes, Hill Prince was named Champion 2-Year-Old the year prior, when he won the Cowdin at Aqueduct. Upon retirement, Hill Prince stood at Claiborne Farm. He was inducted into Racing's Hall of Fame in 1991.

The Hill Prince is slated as Race 9 on Sunday's 10-race program, which offers a first post of 12:20 p.m. Eastern. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the 27-day fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

The post Decorated Invader Cuts Back In Distance For Sunday’s Hill Prince Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights