Hill Road to Nashville Derby
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Hill Road began his career with a five-length victory on turf in Ireland. He will be headed back to that surface when he makes his next start in the Grade 3, $3.5 million Nashville Derby at Kentucky Downs on Aug. 30.
Hill Road, a son of Quality Road, has been racing on dirt since he finished third in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Transferred to Brown over the winter, he won the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes this year but was no match for Sovereignty when finishing fifth behind him in the Belmont Stakes and third to him in the Jim Dandy. Sovereignty is pointing to the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on Aug. 23.
Trainer Chad Brown worked Hill Road last weekend over the Oklahoma turf course, where he went a half-mile in 48.60 seconds.
“Solid,” Brown said of the breeze. “I’m planning on running in the Nashville Derby. He’s not quite good enough to crack the top couple [of dirt 3-year-olds]. He’s running solid races and he has some form on the turf originally. I liked the work. It’s a huge purse and he’s Kentucky-bred.”
Kentucky-breds will race for the full $3.5 million purse in the Nashville Derby.