Camelot Kitten triggers one-two-three sweep for Brown in Hill Prince
ELMONT, N.Y. - Chad Brown put an exclamation point on a huge day at Belmont Park on Saturday by sending out the first three finishers in the Grade 3, $500,000 Hill Prince, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for 3-year-olds.
In the race prior to the Hill Prince, Brown finished first and third in the Grade 1 Champagne with Practical Joke and Favorable Outcome. Two races earlier on the card, Brown had scored an emotional victory in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl with the great Lady Eli. He also sent out the third-place finisher Sea Calisi.
The Hill Prince was the third time Camelot Kitten and Beach Patrol had met this season. In their first encounter, Camelot Kitten defeated Beach Patrol by a head in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs in May. The result was the same Saturday.
In their second meeting, Beach Patrol finished third in the $1.25 Million Belmont Derby, a head in front of fourth-place Camelot Kitten.
Annals of Time is new to the party as the Hill Prince was only his third career start. He finished a length behind Beach Patrol.
"All of these horses train differently," Brown said. "The way I run my operation is that if a horse fits in a race, I run them there. I thought all of these horses fit the race well."
Brown said all three would be considered for the Grade 1, $300,000 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar on Dec. 3.
Beach Patrol tracked pacesetting California shipper Monster Bea early in the Hill Prince. He took the lead in midstretch, then just failed to last.
Camelot Kitten, well back early under Irad Ortiz Jr., was taken outside horses for the stretch run and just got up.
"Irad knows the horse well." Brown said. "He's worked out good trips for him before and worked out a good trip today, saving ground and then angling out."
Annals of Time was never far back. He turned in a very good effort for a lightly raced horse talking a steep jump in class. Monster Bea was fourth, a head farther back.
Camelot Kitten paid $8 as the second choice to Beach Patrol in the 10-horse field. He was timed in 1:47.25.