Decorated Invader will be at his best distance in Danger's Hour

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Though he’s run well at virtually every distance which he’s been asked, Decorated Invader seems to do his best work at a mile.

That distance will be the focal point of Decorated Invader’s 4-year-old campaign, which kicks off Saturday in the $100,000 Danger’s Hour Stakes at Aqueduct.

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“I’ve always thought he was at his best at a mile because he’s got such a high cruising speed,” said Christophe Clement, who trains Decorated Invader for West Point Thoroughbreds, William Freeman, William Sandbrook, and Cheryl Manning. “There are plenty of races through the year, including the Poker and Fourstardave.”

Decorated Invader has recorded three of his five career wins at a mile, including the Grade 1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine at age 2, the Cutler Bay at Gulfstream to kick off his 3-year-old season, and the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge at Belmont last June. He missed by a head in the Grade 2 Hill Prince going a mile last October before finishing his season with a fifth-place finish going 1 1/8 miles in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar.

Clement said he gave Decorated Invader a complete break following the Hollywood Derby. The horse shows six works at Payson Park leading up to his return.

“I think he’s a stronger horse now than what he was and obviously more mature,” Clement said. “This is not the end of his career; this is his first race back as a 4-year-old, so there’s still a little improvement to come from the race and I’m okay with it.”

Junior Alvarado, aboard for Decorated Invader’s maiden win two years ago, is riding the Declaration of War colt for the first time since on Saturday.

Trainer Chad Brown will send out the pair of Analyze It and Delaware in the Danger’s Hour.

Analyze It, a 6-year-old son of Point of Entry, is a three-time Grade 3 stakes winner who has placed in three Grade 1 stakes including a third in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Mile. Analyze It’s career has been interrupted by foot issues.

“We had a couple of times we had him ready and then had a couple of setbacks,” Brown said. “He seems to be good, knock on wood.”

Delaware, a Group 3 winner in France in 2019, is winless in six starts for Brown. His best race for Brown did come here last fall, when he was beaten a neck by Therapist in the Artie Schiller Stakes going a mile.

“He’s been a frustrating horse because he’s trained better than he’s run, so hopefully he’ll start to be more consistent in the afternoon,” Brown said.

Brown felt Delaware had a bad trip when he finished eighth in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes on Feb. 6.

Hieronymus is coming off an 11-month layoff for trainer Brad Cox. The 4-year-old son of Girolamo won a couple of listed stakes at Fair Grounds in the winter of 2020 before running fourth in the War Chant Stakes on May 20.

Rinaldi, Price Talk, Tiberius Mercurius, and Penalty complete the field on turf. Zoomer is entered to run only if the race is moved to the main track.