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...

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...

At this time last year Bricks and Mortar (Giant's Causeway) was starting over, re-learning the lessons that had enabled him to become a standout 3-year-old turf runner in 2017. Though he was nine months removed from career-saving surgery performed by Dr. Larry Bramlage at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., there was no guarantee that he would be able to regain the brilliance. While sport is littered with tales of athletes who never could make a full comeback from injury, Bricks and Mortar is an unqualified success story....