Caroline St. Beat carries strong momentum into G3 Hill Prince
Madaket Stables and Steven Bouchey’s New York-bred Caroline St. Beat was an emphatic winner on short rest in the Grade 2 Nashville Derby on September 5 at Kentucky Downs, and will look to continue his upward trajectory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Hill Prince, a 1 3/16-mile inner turf route for sophomores, at Belmont Park.
Trained by Miguel Clement, the son of Tiz the Law has made a rapid ascent through the ranks from a state-bred maiden-winner to Grade 2 victor in just five starts. He debuted successfully going 1 1/16 miles last August at Saratoga Race Course, and rallied with aplomb to edge clear by 2 1/4-lengths ahead of a one-length second to Jaxer in the state-bred Notebook cutting back to one mile in November to close out his juvenile campaign.
Caroline St. Beat returned in July with a hard-fought second by a neck to Chummers in the state-bred Rick Violette, the two foes brushing together and battling on through the lane before Chummers completed the course in 1:40.61. One month later, Caroline St. Beat would be entered in a Saratoga state-bred allowance tilt going 1 1/16-miles on August 29, as well as the Grade 2 Nashville Derby at 1 5/16 miles one week later at Kentucky Downs.
It appeared any intention to head to the Bluegrass State was abandoned when Caroline St. Beat took on elders in the Saratoga allowance, pouncing from seventh-of-11 and grinding away with a five-wide bid to land a half-length score over Sammy C Note in a final time of 1:42.48. But just one week later, Caroline St. Beat did not scratch from the Nashville Derby, and defeated nine rivals when he tracked 2 1/2 lengths off the pace and tipped out to drive home a 1 1/2-length winner over Glacius. The win garnered a field-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure.
“All the credit goes to the owners for being bold enough to do it,” Clement said. “He’s a very tough horse. He eats remarkably well, he’s got great bone, and physically, he’s very impressive to look at. If there’s a horse in the barn that could handle that kind of training and shipping, he would be the prime candidate to do something that bold.”
The consistent chestnut has delivered a strong effort in each of his five outings, and has quickly built a lofty bankroll of $1,175,875 thanks in great part to the lucrative Nashville Derby score.
Clement said Caroline St. Beat has been a consummate professional since Day One.
“He’s doing great. We’ve always loved him and think very highly of him,” Clement said.
Bred by Lawrence Goichman, Caroline St. Beat was purchased for $100,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale and is out of the multiple stakes-winning Scat Daddy mare Myhartblongstodady.
Manny Franco, aboard for Caroline St. Beat’s first four starts, climbs back aboard from post 6.
Willow Pond Sable’s Lennox the Grey [post 4, Antonio Fresu] also enters off a graded stakes victory after defeating the Clement-trained The Big Con by a nose in the Grade 3 Old Dominion Derby on September 7 at Colonial Downs.
Trained by Arnaud Delacour, the Liam’s Map gray is nearly perfect in three starts at Colonial for his conditioner, who took over the colt’s training following two starts with Catherine Day Phillips last summer at Woodbine Racetrack. Debuting for Delacour in July, Lennox the Grey was a neck second with a prominent trip in a one-mile turf allowance in July ahead of a deep-closing 3 1/4-length win from 9 1/2 lengths back in a similar tilt on August 1.
Lennox the Grey faced his farthest test to date in the nine-furlong Old Dominion Derby, and set a pressured pace through splits of 24.57 seconds, 50.80 and 1:15.54 under Mychel Sanchez. He dispatched the pestering Chambersville – who reopposes here – before digging in gamely and staving off the rush of The Big Con in a final time of 1:49.77, earning a career-best 84 Beyer for the win.
A $130,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sake, Lennox the Grey is out of the Awesome Again mare Satisfaction, a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Dancing Forever that produced graded stakes-placed stakes-winner Miss Yearwood and Grade 2-placed winner Tuggle. The deep family also includes Satisfaction’s half-sister Castanet, who produced Grade 3-winner Carrumba – dam of this year’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets-winner Golden Tempo.
Owner Marc Keller and trainer Bobby Riabudo teamed up to find stakes success on October 2 with Scalene in the Bertram F. Bongard here, and will look to continue their run of good form with the Munnings colt Print [post 1, Ricardo Santana, Jr.].
The chestnut was last seen winning a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming tilt on August 29 at the Spa, where he made a strong rally from seventh-of-8 and 6 1/2 lengths off the pace for the willing victory in a final time of 1:40.92 under regular pilot Ricardo Santana, Jr., earning a career-best 88 Beyer.
Print gave a good account of himself against graded company just 22 days prior to that effort in the Spa’s Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame, where he endured a bumpy beginning and trailed in last-of-7 before swinging five-wide and showing good courage to land fourth just 2 1/2 lengths back of the victorious Bottas.
“In the Hall of Fame, we were only beaten about 2 1/2 lengths, and we had trouble in that race,” Ribaudo said. “I think he’s improving.”
A Kentucky homebred for Keller, Print is out of the Grade 3-placed Artie Schiller mare Promotional, who produced the stakes-placed Daunt for these connections. Promotional is also a half-sister to dual Grade 1-winning multimillionaire Marketing Mix.
Ribaudo said the colt’s breeding should serve him well as he faces his farthest test to date.
“The family says long, even though his better races have been at a mile and a sixteenth,” Ribaudo said. “That dam, she was a mile and three-eighths horse, and she’s a half to Marketing Mix, so it’s a great family. I don’t think the distance will be a problem.”
Completing the field are last-out Gio Ponti runner-up and stakes-winner Third Coast [post 9, Jose Lezcano] for trainer Tom Proctor; Old Dominion Derby third-place finisher Chambersville [post 8, Javier Castellano] for trainer Ken McPeek; restricted Listed Saranac-winner Heeere’s Johnny [post 3, Dylan Davis] for trainer Ray Handal; allowance-level victor Versailles Road [post 7, Edgard Zayas] for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher; and maiden-winners Protect and Defend [post 2, Smauel Marin] for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey and Bull Shoals [post 5, Kendrick Carmouche] for conditioner Jena Antonucci.
The Hill Prince is slated as Race 10 on Saturday’s 11-race program, which also includes the inaugural running of the $175,000 Bricks and Mortar in Race 8. First post is 12:05 p.m. Eastern.
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