Breeders Crown: Racing Hill best in 3-Year-Old Colt Pace

Racing Hill watched a duel for the lead to three-quarters, vaulted off cover into command as the field turned for home, and went on to capture the $500,000 Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Colt Pace in 1:48, the fastest mile in the history of the race.

Elimination winner Check Six (Yannick Gingras) worked his way around Dr J Hanover (Scott Zeron) for control at the 26 3/5 opening quarter, but Lyons Snyder (Brian Sears) went first-over out of fourth in search of the lead as they raced into the backstretch. Lyons Snyder had the lead at the 53 second half-mile marker, and was nearly clear, but Check Six drove back through and left him parked out around the final turn and to the 1:20 2/5 three-quarters.

Watching all of that transpire from fifth had been Racing Hill (Brett Miller), but Miller sent him to the outside on the final turn, and he would quickly gain, then move three-wide around the tiring Lyons Snyder. Check Six was also engulfed as Racing Hill swept into the lead as they raced into the lane, and Racing Hill opened up almost a three-length gap on his closest competition at the eighth pole. Manhattan Beach (Matt Kakaley) chased Racing Hill all the way to the wire, but Racing Hill had the jump and the advantage was enough, as he won by three-quarters of a length. Check Six held third, ahead of Fernando Hanover (Tim Tetrick) and Katies Rocker (David Miller).

"I was loving every bit of (the speed duel)," said Brett Miller. "This colt felt like his old self tonight. I had a big handful of horse in the last turn, and coming off the last turn I knew he was a winner. This was special here. I've loved this colt all year. I had so much confidence in him, and I knew Tony (Alagna) would get him back good again.

"He actually can do it any way; it's just there were times this summer I felt he was so much the best I was a little aggressive with him."

The winner, a colt by Blue Chip Farms stallion Roll With Joe, is trained by Alagna for owner/breeder Tom Hill. Racing Hill is now a 12-time winner from 25 career attempts, and he has banked $1,714,876. Sent off at 2-1, Racing Hill returned $6.40 to win.

"To say it's been easy would be a downright lie," said Alagna about Racing Hill's last few weeks of racing prior to tonight. "We had bad luck in the Jug; he got parked the whole mile, and last week I was there when he got off the truck for detention barn, and he was wringing wet with sweat. I said, 'we just left our race on the truck tonight,' and he raced that way on Saturday.

"We went out of our way to make sure (that didn't happen again). I put the groom on the truck, who has done a tremendous job with the horse, and we shipped him in a box stall by himself on a dual truck yesterday, just so he didn't get all worked up, and it did the trick. I know he's a great horse, and he showed it tonight. This horse has just been a model of consistency all year."