Integration Prevails in Red Smith at Aqueduct

The famous movie and current Broadway play is "Back to the Future." For the connections of Integration, it's back to the past. A year ago at this time, Integration was an easy, five-length winner of the Hill Prince Stakes (then G2T) for 3-year-olds which catapulted the undefeated grass ace into a 6-5 favorite for the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T). Unfortunately, he failed to threaten in the Pegasus at Gulfstream Park and finished fifth. Now fast-forward to Nov. 9 at Aqueduct Racetrack. Four races after the 2024 Hill Prince, Integration was back in action and once again motored to a convincing win, this time taking the $300,000 Red Smith Stakes (G2T) by two lengths over Limited Liability to give trainer Shug McGaughey a 1-2 finish in the 1 3/8-mile turf stakes, Did he punch a second ticket to the Pegasus? "We'll see what (the owners) want to do," McGaughey said. "It depends on him. I'll watch him, but it would be a nice thought." The Red Smith brought an end to a 4-year-old campaign that fell short of the lofty expectations heading into the year for the Quality Road colt owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing. In six previous starts this year, his lone win was July 13 in the Million Preview Stakes at Colonial Downs. He was then second in the Arlington Million Stakes (G1T) two starts ago but settled for fourth as an even-money favorite in the Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes (G2T) at Kentucky Downs. "We got off track with him in the Pegasus," McGaughey said. "Then we went to Kentucky and caught wet tracks at Keeneland and Churchill Downs and he couldn't kick in. Then he wasn't doing any good. I got him going in the right direction and he ran good at Colonial Downs. But I was disappointed in his race at Kentucky Downs." A winner of his first three starts, Integration turned back the clock Saturday with a strong, winning effort. Fifth under Flavien Prat after Rebel Red (GB) posted fractions of :49.65 and 1:14.30 on firm turf, Integration moved into contention from the two path on the final turn but was still nearly three lengths back at the eighth pole. The 6-5 favorite ($4.50) was not to be denied in the final furlong as he rushed past Rebel Red and Limited Liability to win going away in 2:13.28. "It's funny. Turning for home, he was coming but more in a grinding way. When we got to the eighth pole he found another gear, so it was nice," said Prat, who added another graded stakes win to his bid for the Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey. Bred by Larkin Armstrong in Kentucky out of the grade 1-winning Scat Daddy mare Harmonize, Integration was bought for $700,000 from the Brookdale Sales consignment at the 2021 edition of Fasig-Tipton's The Saratoga Sale. The win pushed his earnings past $1 million to $1,141,800. Limited Liability, a Kitten's Joy gelding, was second by a nose over John Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock Services' pacesetting Rebel Red, a Frankel (GB) colt trained by Cherie DeVaux. McGaughey said Limited Liability could also be in the mix for the Pegasus. "It could be worth a try," McGaughey said. "They also have the (two-mile) Allen Jerkens and he'll like that, too." Deterministic Takes Hill Prince Grass continues to be greener for Deterministic. Go back to April and the 3-year-old son of Liam's Map was the 4-5 favorite in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) and was considered a top contender for the Kentucky Derby (G1). Given all that, who could have imagined Deterministic would spend the summer running in the likes of the Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) and the Virginia Derby (G3T)? But after a baffling eighth in the Wood followed by an even more disappointing fifth in the Peter Pan Stakes (G3), trainer Christophe Clement switched Deterministic to turf and it triggered a rejuvenation of the graded stakes-winning form the 3-year-old showed early in his dirt career. He finished no worse than third in his first four turf starts—all in graded stakes—and in his fifth he became a grade 3 winner on turf for the second time as he took charge in the stretch and motored to a length win in the $200,000 Hill Prince Stakes (G3T) for 3-year-olds Saturday at Aqueduct. "He's never run a bad race on the turf. He's a fun horse. He's won three graded stakes (two on turf, one on dirt) and it's not easy to win three graded stakes in the same year," Clement said. Owned by St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, Steven Duncker, and Vicarage Stable and bred by Hinkle Farms out of the Speightstown mare Giulio's Jewel, Deterministic was second in the June 29 Manilla Stakes (G3T) in his first turf start. He was third in the Saratoga Derby before winning the Virginia Derby two starts ago. Considering Deterministic started his 3-year-old season March 2 with a win in the Gotham Stakes (G3) on dirt, Clement said he would give Deterministic a rest rather than target the Pegasus World Cup Turf in late January. Bartlett set the early fractions of :23.43 and :47.61 over firm turf in the 1 1/8-mile Hill Prince with Deterministic and Joel Rosario fourth. In the stretch, Deterministic ($5.50), grabbed the lead approaching the eighth pole and covered the distance in 1:46.58. West Point Thoroughbreds and Jimmy Kahig's Cugino rallied from last in the field of seven to finish second. The son of Twirling Candy trained by McGaughey finished 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Besilu Stables' Royal Majesty (GB), a Frankel colt trained by Bill Mott. Deterministic was bought for $625,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale from Hinkle's consignment.