In the days leading up to the 157th running of the $2 million Belmont Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, the team at usracing.com is publishing profiles of the 3-year-olds in the field. Profiles will be updated with post positions and track odds following the June 2 draw.
Throughout a career destined for the Hall of Fame, Chad Brown has excelled with horses who began their careers in Europe. Nearly all were on turf, which is where Hill Road made his first two starts for trainer Adrian Murray last summer in Ireland before trying dirt in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Del Mar.
Murray’s experiment had inconclusive but somewhat promising results. Hill Road, at 61-1 odds, closed from 10th to be third, 4¾ lengths behind pacesetter Citizen Bull. The Irish shipper was last of 10, about 10 lengths behind, after 6 furlongs. He made up more than five lengths on a speed-favoring track and finished two lengths ahead of Brown’s highly regarded closer Chancer McPatrick.
Amo Racing transferred Hill Road to Brown, who watched him run a distant third, 6¼ lengths behind frontrunning Owen Almighty, March 8 in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3). Once again, not bad, but nothing special. Then came the 1 1/8-mile Peter Pan Stakes (G3), where this 3-year-old boy flew through Aqueduct’s stretch to beat McAfee by three-quarters of a length. He made up 5½ lengths in the final three furlongs and zipped the last one in about :12.3 seconds.
Like Peter Pan, Hill Road has resisted growing up, because he stumbled at the start and failed to change leads in the stretch. Overall, though, Brown was pleased and aimed him for the 1¼-mile Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 7.
“He bounced out of the Peter Pan really well,” Brown said. “We still have to work on switching his leads in the lane, but he ran really well. I think at a mile and a quarter we’ll see the best of him. That’s what he’s been looking for.”
Hill Road will make a big class jump in the Belmont, so don’t take a short price. He’ll need a solid pace to chase, but if he gets it, he could be right there at the finish.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
