Takeover Target extends Brown's hot hand in Hill Prince

ELMONT, N.Y. – Continuing his domination of the turf stakes at Belmont Park these past two weeks, trainer Chad Brown struck again in Saturday’s $500,000 Hill Prince Stakes when Takeover Target wore down stubborn pacesetter Vision Perfect in deep stretch.

Takeover Target ($12) moved within striking range along the hedge on the backstretch, as the lightly regarded Vision Perfect established fractions of 25.18 seconds, 50.82, and 1:15.20 while prompted by one of Brown’s other entrants, Winter Springs, and Jay Gatsby.

Turning for home, it appeared Vision Perfect might not be caught, but Takeover Target tipped out to the two-path under Jose Ortiz and caught the leader inside the final sixteenth of a mile to win by 1 3/4 lengths. Vision Perfect held well and remained three lengths clear of Great Dancer, who finished third after a ground-saving trip.

Many others appeared to dislike the soft going, including favored Tale of Life, who was never a factor and checked in eighth. Brown’s other starters, Money Multiplier and Winter Springs, wound up seventh and 10th in the field of 11 3-year-olds.

Oddly enough, both Takeover Target and Vision Perfect won on yielding turf at Belmont on Oct. 26 of last year, with Takeover Target winning a maiden race at first asking, and Vision Perfect taking the Awad Stakes three races later.

“My horse broke good and I went right to the rail at the first turn,” said Ortiz, who was riding the winner for the first time. “I tried to save every inch of ground, and it worked out great…getting to the quarter pole I got the opportunity to come out, and it worked out perfect.”

Takeover Target, who captured the Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga before finishing a dull sixth as the favorite in the Saranac, rebounded to win the 1 1/8-mile, Grade 3 Hill Prince in 1:51.42 over a rain-soaked inner turf course.

“He’s a really quality horse,” said Brown, who earlier sent out Stephanie’s Kitten and Danza Cavallo to a one-two finish in the Flower Bowl, and also saddled the exacta of Big Blue Kitten and Slumber in last Saturday’s Joe Hirsch Turf Classic. “The first time we ran him, he ran well over yielding ground right here at Belmont, so we were confident he’d be able to handle it. His last race was disappointing. He was training so well going into the Saranac and he just didn’t fire. In hindsight, he might have bounced a little bit out of the Hall of Fame win. He had a little time to recover for this race, got soft ground, and a great trip. It all came together for this horse today.”