Stars and Strides targets first graded stakes win in Hill Prince
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Stars and Strides, not to be confused with Stars and Stripes from the same barn who runs earlier on Saturday’s Aqueduct card, has run well on dirt and turf. His Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott has no qualms declaring what the 3-year-old colt’s preferred surface.
“He’s turf,” Mott said. “He displayed that in his second race.”
In his second race, Stars and Strides came with a strong rally along the inside under Junior Alvarado to win the Saranac Stakes on closing day at Saratoga, his second win from two turf tries.
So, it’s only logical that Stars and Strides seeks his first graded victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Hill Prince Stakes at Aqueduct. This is the last turf stakes routing restricted to 3-year-olds on this circuit this year. The Hill Prince is scheduled for 1 1/8 miles over Aqueduct’s inner turf course.
Stars and Strides, a son of American Pharoah, won his debut in the slop at Saratoga in June and was given a try on fast dirt in July where he finished seventh of 11. That was the impetus to move to the turf in August at Saratoga, where Stars and Strides won a one-mile allowance race by three-quarters of a length over Griffin’s Wharf. That was followed by the Saranac, where Stars and Strides was behind a wall of horses turning into the stretch before room opened up along the hedge and he exploded on through.
“He had to wait, wait, wait, but when he got through he shot through there and he showed good acceleration,” Mott said. “Now, does he show that same acceleration at a mile and an eighth? He’ll answer that question, I guess.”
Asbury Park, third in the Saranac, came back to win the Grade 2 Jockey Club Derby at Aqueduct. He is not in this spot, likely looking for Grade 1 glory in the Hollywood Derby at Del Mar.
Griffin’s Wharf came out of his runner-up finish to Stars and Strides in the August allowance to run third in the Gio Ponti Stakes. Tom Morley, trainer of Griffin’s Wharf, said he preferred the off-the-pace trip he received in the allowance to the on-the-pace trip he got in the Gio Ponti. Morley does question whether his horse wants to go 1 1/8 miles.
“He’s certainly bred to do it,” Morley said. “I don’t think we rode him wrong last time, it looked like a little bit of a paceless race.
“I feel in his turf debut, Johnny [Velazquez] dropped him [back], he came with a late run and wasn’t stopping at the end of that race. There’s a huge question mark about the distance, but he’s very, very tough, he’s in great form. I’m looking forward to seeing if he can go that far.”
Soleil Volant won the Kent Stakes, at 1 1/8 miles, by a nose over Thundering at Delaware Park on Sept. 27. That race was run over soft turf.
Noble Confessor won a maiden race at 1 3/16 miles at Saratoga before finishing sixth in the Grade 3 Nashville Derby at Kentucky Downs. He comes into this out of a second-place finish behind Asbury Park in the Jockey Club Derby. Trainer Todd Pletcher adds blinkers to his equipment.
Church and State, Lazio, Mayor of Midnight, and Tiz Dashing complete the field.
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