Integration, Equitize have a lot to prove in Hill Prince

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The male turf division in North America was, to be kind, lacking depth in 2023. With likely male turf champion Up to the Mark headed to the breeding shed for 2024, reinforcements are desperately needed.

It’s too early to know how good horses like Integration or Equitize could be, but their limited body of work is promising.

Integration and Equitize could provide further clues as to their ability when they run in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Hill Prince Stakes for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct.

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Integration, a son of Quality Road out of the Grade 1 winner Harmonize, is 2 for 2, both wins coming at Colonial Downs. He jumped up from a maiden win to take the Grade 3 Virginia Derby, a race in which he ran down the previously unbeaten Grade 1 winner Program Trading. Runaway Storm, who finished second in the Virginia Derby, came back to win the Grade 3 Bryan Station at Keeneland.

Speaking of the Virginia Derby, Shug McGaughey, trainer of Integration, said “It was a big race. He finished really strong. It was only his second race. He has the pedigree to be a really good horse on the turf.”

Kendrick Carmouche rides Integration from post 3.

Equitize is one of three horses entered in this race by trainer Chad Brown. Equitize, a son of Kingman, won his lone start, a maiden race at Tampa Bay Downs in March. He was a bit immature in the race, losing position on the far turn, having to rally four wide in the stretch, and then was late to change leads. He hasn’t run since.

“No surgery, but he needed to be stopped on and unfortunately missed the bulk of the season, but he’s a nice prospect,” Brown said.

Faraday has won his last two starts for Brown, but was excluded from the Grade 2 Red Smith Stakes going 1 3/8 miles due to a lack of earnings.

Brown’s third entrant, I’m Very Busy, is coming off a 4 1/4-length first-level allowance win going one mile here on Oct.4.

“I’m Very Busy got back on track last time. I was pleased with him,” Brown said.

Freedom Trail won his first two starts as a 2-year-old over Aqueduct’s turf course, but hasn’t won since. Trainer John Terranova said Freedom Trail was a bit immature and those two early wins came on raw talent. He believes the horse has matured throughout his 3-year-old campaign and his last race, a narrow defeat in a second-level allowance here on Sept. 21, was his best from a speed-figure perspective.

“I thought he ran a bang-up race, another jump I think he wins that race,” Terranova said. “He ran a nice number, came out of it super – even better than he went in – and has trained great for this.”

Laurel Valley, Toofareastiswest, Quality Chic, and Classic Catch complete the field on turf. Crupi was entered to run only if this race is transferred to the main track.

The Hill Prince goes as race 5 (1:46 p.m. Eastern) on a 10-race card that begins at 11:50 a.m. and includes the Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship and two New York-bred stakes for 2-year-olds.

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