Hill Road headlines G2 Jockey Club Derby Inv.

Amo Racing USA’s Hill Road returned to turf last out and now rides a strong third into Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Jockey Club Derby Invitational, an 11-furlong inner turf test for sophomores, at Belmont at the Big A. 

Trained by five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, the Quality Road colt enters from a closing third in the 1 5/16-mile Grade 3 Nashville Derby on August 30 at Kentucky Downs. There, Hill Road traveled well off the pace in 10th-of-12 early and rallied to land show honors 3 3/4 lengths back of the photo finish between the victorious Wimbledon Hawkeye and Burnham Square.

Hill Road made five starts on dirt leading up to his last effort, highlighted by a closing score in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Peter Pan in May here. As a 2-year-old for conditioner Adrian Murray, the bay started twice on turf in Ireland, piloted by returning jockey David Egan in both races including a debut graduation at Leopardstown, ahead of a third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on dirt at Del Mar. 

Hill Road [post 4, David Egan] was no match for the streaking Sovereignty in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets or Grade 2 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun at Saratoga Race Course ahead of his return to the lawn. 

Hill Road was a $350,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Exotic Notion, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winning multimillionaire and top sire City of Light.

Brown will also send out Peter Brant and St. Elias Stable’s stakes-placed Asbury Park [post 2, Manny Franco], who closed for a 1 1/4-length third last out in the 1 1/16-mile restricted Listed Saranac on September 1 at the Spa. 

The Frankel dark bay rebounded from a closing sixth in a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer on July 18 at the Spa which followed a second-out and seasonal debut graduation over 1 1/16 miles of good turf versus maiden elders in June there.

Asbury Park has made all four career starts traveling 1 1/16 miles at Saratoga, his graduation returning a career-best 85 Beyer. He is a half-brother to dual Group 2-winner Spanish Mission, who captured the 2019 Jockey Club Derby Invitational at Belmont Park, and is out of the Listed stakes-winning Street Cry mare Limonar – a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Talco.

Gold Square’s stakes-placed Hammerhead [post 5, Joel Rosario] looks to rebound from an off-the-board effort in the one-mile Listed Toronto Cup on August 30 at Woodbine Racetrack. Trained by Kevin Attard, the War Front dark bay went off at 2-1 in the 11-horse field, but was off slow and never menaced. 

“It was obviously a very disappointing run from him last time, but no excuse. I’m just going to run a line through it. He was a favorite in that race and got shuffled back and really didn’t get going,” said Attard. “He’s had a couple good works in the interim and we’ve always thought that he wanted to go a distance of ground. This might be a bit of a tall task, but running against straight 3-year-olds right now has limited options.”

Hammerhead previously placed versus elders in a pair of optional claimers this summer at Woodbine. He boasts a 10-1-3-2 record with $111,746 in earnings, including a close second in the Listed Dania Beach in January on Tapeta.  

“I think one day he’s going to put it all together and show everybody what we think he’s capable of,” Attard said. “He’s been a little bit unlucky with some trips, and he’s just kind of a hard-luck horse.”

Jethorse’s Game Warrior [post 7, Florent Geroux] ships in from a last out 1 1/4-length third in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on August 31 at its namesake oval. Trained by Peter Miller, the Game Winner dark bay made up ground for show-honors behind the victorious The Padre, the same rival he finished fifth behind prior in the 1 1/16-mile Listed La Jolla Handicap earlier that month there. 

Game Warrior, three starts back, closed to win the restricted Listed Oceanside going one-mile on July 18 at Del Mar. All three aforementioned performances earned a career-best 83 Beyer, the same number he earned before that trio of stakes outings when third in a one-mile optional claimer in June at Santa Anita Park. 

Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher sends the pair of Grade 2-placed Noble Confessor [post 6, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] and dirt stakes-winner Crudo [post 3, Kendrick Carmouche]. 

St. Elias Stable’s Noble Confessor was sixth last out in the Grade 3 Nashville Derby off a seventh-out maiden win versus elders going 1 3/16 miles in July at Saratoga. Before his graduation, the Quality Road bay made a trio of stakes outings, including a second in last year’s Grade 2 Pilgrim here before a sixth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar. 

Bobby Flay and James Ventura’s Crudo made his turf debut in his sixth career start when a prominent 1 3/4-length fourth in the Saranac, a half-length behind third-place Asbury Park. The Justify bay dominated the 1 1/16-mile restricted Sir Barton in May at Pimlico Race Course, prompting off-the-board tries in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets and restricted Listed Curlin presented by Casamigos at Saratoga. 

Rounding out the field is the maiden A Bourbon for Toby [post 1, Jose Lezcano], who has hit the board seven times in nine outings for trainer Tom Morley. 

The Jockey Club Derby is slated as Race 4 on Saturday’s 12-race card, which features a trio of Breeders’ Cup qualifying events with the “Win and You’re In” Grade 1 Champagne [Juvenile] in Race 7 and Grade 2 Miss Grillo [Juvenile Fillies Turf] in Race 8, as well as the “Dirt Dozen” series Grade 1 Frizette [Juvenile Fillies] in Race 6. The card is supported by the restricted $125,000 Discovery [Race 2]. First post is 12:10 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.

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