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Yoshida breaks through late to earn first graded stakes win in G3 Hill Prince

by Anthony Affrunti

It's possible that all Yoshida needed was a change of venue, and a little racing luck, to finally break through and earn his first graded stakes victory after he came on late to win the Grade 3, $500,000 Hill Prince by a neck Saturday at Belmont Park.  

Off the board only once in six career starts leading up to the race, the rising star under Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott's care was first to a narrow hole, moving to the right spot to burst through and put his head in front among three others in a tight flurry before the wire under jockey Manny Franco, completing 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf in 1:47.07.

"We got the benefit of saving the ground today and that didn't hurt him." Mott said.

The race's pace remained a question leading up to post time, as the field of nine was primarily comprised of closers, but upon the break, jockey Junior Alvarado gunned Secretary At War to the lead while a strung out field gave pursuit in an opening quarter of 24.21 seconds. Frostmourne was next as Yoshida and Lucullan kept close at a half-mile clocked in 49.11. 

Bricks and Mortar, the 3-2 favorite whose late charge from behind failed only once through five starts, followed in sixth and was given his cue for more approaching the five-sixteenths mark.

Secretary At War was still in command at the three-quarters mark, sitting atop the stretch before the inevitable onslaught followed. Second-choice Frostmourne held a narrow lead, but Yoshida and Bricks and Mortar gained with every step as Lucullan dug in to sustain his presence. 

Frostmourne came in slightly while his three foes were to his inside, and with little time to spare, Yoshida got to a narrow opening first while Bricks and Mortar bumped with Yoshida as Lucullan kept his steady progress. The four were spread across at the wire, but Yoshida held a neck over Lucullan, whose half-length bested Bricks and Mortar. Frostmourne checked in for fourth, a head behind, and was left to stand after a steward's inquiry ruled no change.

"The horse and rider both showed good courage," Mott said. "The rider showed good patience and when he asked him he had enough horse to get in there. It looks like Bricks and Mortar went for the same hole and we were able to get there first. Actually it looked like Frostmourne came over a little bit and crowded both of us."

Added Franco, who notched his 12th graded stakes win: "I rode with a lot of confidence, as Bill told me. I expected to be third or fourth, saving ground, covering the horse up, like I did, and just waiting for the hole. By the eighth pole, we [himself and Joel Rosario aboard Bricks and Mortar, No 6] were going for the same spot, but I had a lot of horse and my horse took off and went through. We were going to the same spot, but I had more horse than him so I got his spot."

The Japanese-bred son of Heart's Cry had been knocking on the door in his last two starts up north at Saratoga where he missed victory in the Grade 3 Saranac by a neck nearly a month after he fell three-quarters of a length short to Bricks and Mortar in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame. Second in his debut in November 2016, Yoshida returned to win at Keeneland before winning the James W. Murphy Stakes at Pimlico on the Preakness Day undercard. A disappointing fifth place finish as the favorite behind winner Oscar Performance in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby led him to Saratoga. 

Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence's Bricks and Mortar, looking to get back to the winners' circle after finishing third in the Grade 3 Saranac, may have been the victim of an unfortunate trip, trainer Chad Brown said.

"He had a rough trip out there," Brown said. "I thought it would open up for him [in the late stretch]. I thought he was best."

Godolphin Stable's Lucullan, making a jump in class after beating allowance level foes in his fifth career start, ran a strong race for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.

"He ran very well, we're happy with the race," McLaughlin said. "It was a big step up from just winning an allowance other than to a graded stakes with very nice horses. We ran great and we're happy with it."

Yoshida's victory was the fourth Hill Prince captured by Mott, who won his first in 1993 with Halissee, then returned in 1995 with Green Means Go and won his third in 2007 with Marcavelly.

Yoshida, the third choice in betting at 4-1, returned $10.40 to win on a $2 wager.

Following the top four finishers was Secretary At War, Rocketry, Small Bear, Ticonderoga and Hieroglyphics.