Hill Prince Stakes 2013 at Belmont Park

Las Vegas, NV – The Grade 3 Hill Prince Stakes comes our way this Saturday, June 15 from Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. $150,000 will be on the line for a group of three year olds willing to go 1 mile on Belmont Park’s turf track.

A field of 12 three year olds will line up in the Hill Prince Stakes – race 8 on Belmont Park’s Saturday schedule. Post time is 4:45 PM. Here is a look at the past performances of all 12 combatants for this Grade 3 stakes.

Joha – finished a close second behind Balance the Books in the With Anticipation Stakes in August but bounced back with a terrific win in the Grade 1 Dixiana Futurity at Keeneland in October for his third win in four starts. The Michael Maker colt has stumbled in his last two starts however – an eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf was followed by a ninth last time out in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes in November. He makes his first start of the year Saturday and enters in less-than-spectacular form but as a former Grade 1 winner he has to be on the radar for the Hill Prince.

Notacatbutallama – Todd Pletcher colt is has three wins, three seconds and a third place finish in nine career starts – the only time out of the money being a fourth in the Grade 2 With Anticipation Stakes in August and in the Grade 1 Jerome Stakes January 5 at Aqueduct. He had a very nice second in the Grade 3 Pilgrim and a pair of minor stakes wins in October and November however. Last time out was a third in the minor James W. Murphy Stakes at Pimlico May 18 after that sixth in the Jerome and a close second in the Damon Runyon Stakes at Aqueduct December 9. He has two stakes wins and three additional stakes placings and should challenge the field Saturday.

Shining Copper – had a fifth in the Oak Tree Juvenile Turf Stakes September 5 at Del Mar to follow a win in a Maiden Special Weight race and a second in his career debut. He finished third in his graded stakes debut – the Grade 3 Generous Stakes at Hollywood Park in November and followed that with a nice win in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Gulfstream March 30. Last time out was a respectable second ahead of Notacatbutallama in the minor James W. Murphy Stakes at Pimlico May 18. He has done well against some tough competition – hopes are high for the Hill Prince.

Red Rifle – Todd Pletcher trained colt has two career starts and two wins – an Allowance score last time out at Keeneland April 13 and a MSW win at Gulfstream March 9. He is highly regarded, well trained but lightly raced – it will be interesting to see just how Red Rifle fares in stakes company.

Michael With Us – has eight career starts with two wins, three seconds and two third place finishes but steps up in graded stakes company for the first time Saturday. He won the OBS Championship Stakes at Ocala Training Center in March but followed that with a disappointing sixth in the minor Calder Derby April 6. He has run two straight Allowance Optional Claiming races ahead of the Hill Prince – a second at Pimlico May 2 was followed by a good win May 26 at Monmouth Park.

Hill Prince Stakes betting at Belmont Park with OffTrackBetting.com

Chamois – Christophe Clement trained colt enter having won two of three career starts. After finishing third in a MSW in his debut he has won two straight ahead of the Hill Prince – a MSW at Aqueduct in December and an Allowance Optional Claiming score April 17.

Red Rocker – Irish bred colt makes just his third career start Saturday and his first in North America. He was fifth June 9 in the Futurity Trial June 9 after a fourth in a Maiden race on that same track May 17.

Special Skills – will make just his third career start Saturday. He debuted October 8 and finished a respectable third in the Grade 3 Pilgrim Stakes and followed that with a fourth in an Allowance race on this track May 1.

Sayaad – Kiaran McLaughlin pupil has six career starts with two wins and a second place finish. He is coming off an Allowance score at Keeneland April 13 after a pair of disappointing results in Allowance Optional Claiming races at Gulfstream – a sixth February 9 and a fifth December 20.

Bernie the Jet – raced to a ninth in the 2012 With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga in August – his only graded stakes start and had a decent second in the minor Incurable Optimist Stakes in October. He has four starts in 2012 with a pair of thirds in Allowance races and an Allowance score last time out on this track May 1.

Infinite Magic – Robert Ribaudo colt raced to two wins and two seconds in five starts on synthetic in England before debuting in North America April 14 where he won an Allowance by a head at Keeneland. He made his graded staked debut last time out and finished a disappointing ninth in the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park May 11.

Play It Loud – will race for just the third time for trainer Michelle Nihei after breaking maiden in his debut at Gulfstream park January 1 and following that with a seventh in an Allowance Optional Claiming February 9.

Race 8 on Belmont Park’s Saturday card with a Post Time of 4:45 PM.