Pocono: Miller's strategy works out with Racing Hill in Max Hempt
Racing Hill was able to grab the front early, forcing his main rival Control The Moment into a four-hole, and that tactical advantage helped him to a 1:49 verdict in the $500,000 Max C. Hempt Memorial for 3-year-old pacing colts at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Boston Red Rocks (Tim Tetrick) and Control The Moment (Randy Waples) both flashed speed from the outside, but Racing Hill (Brett Miller), who started from post two, used his inside position to find the engine before the 25 4/5 opening quarter, and that caused Boston Red Rocks to back up and settle into third and Control The Moment into fourth.
"The last thing that I wanted to happen in that race was for Control The Moment to get to the front, and then me be first-over on Control The Moment," driver Brett Miller said about his strategy with Racing Hill. "I did not want the race to go like that. I either wanted to be on the front or sitting in the two-hole behind Control The Moment. They actually beat me off the gate, but they couldn't get crossed over, so I kinda got lucky."
Racing Hill would continue to show the way to the half in 54 4/5 and the three-quarters in 1:22, with Control The Moment forced to come first-over. That move stalled past three-quarters, and Racing Hill began to move away on the far turn.
In the stretch it was all Racing Hill as he used a 27 second final quarter to seal the victory, 2 1/2 lengths in front of JK Will Power (Yannick Gingras). Boston Red Rocks, who wound up third on the inside for much of the way, maintained that third spot to the wire.
"He's so handy. He just showed there that he can go such fast fractions, and then he can go slow fractions," Brett Miller added. "That's what makes him a very good horse. This year, so far, he's sharp."
Tony Alagna trains Racing Hill, a Roll With Joe colt, for owner/breeder Tom Hill. Racing Hill now has seven victories from 16 career starts, and he has now earned $583,666. The 3-5 choice, Racing Hill paid $3.20 to win.