Instead of tackling division leader Sovereignty again in the upcoming Travers Stakes (G1), Amo Racing USA's Hill Road will return to the turf in the $3.5 million Nashville Derby Invitational (G3T), a 1 5/16-mile test for sophomores, Aug. 30 at Kentucky Downs.
The 3-year-old son of Quality Road has not raced on the turf since finishing seventh in the Vincent O'Brien National Stakes (G1) in Ireland last fall after breaking his maiden at Leopardstown Racecourse. Following a closing third-place effort in the 2024 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), Hill Road was transferred to trainer Chad Brown's barn, where he has raced exclusively on the dirt in four outings this year.
Hill Road has performed admirably this season, scoring a graded victory in the Peter Pan Stakes (G3) ahead of a fifth-place finish in the Belmont Stakes (G1). In his most recent outing, the colt was third to Sovereignty in the July 26 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course.
Hill Road, out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Exotic Notion, a half sister to multiple grade 1-winning multimillionaire and sire City of Light , worked a half-mile over the Oklahoma Training Track turf course at Saratoga Aug. 10 in :48.77.
"I'm planning on running him in the Nashville Derby, something different with him," Brown said. "He's not quite good enough to crack the top couple (in the Travers), Sovereignty, and the likes of the other horses (though) he's running solid races. He has some form on the turf originally. I liked the work, and it's a huge purse as he's a Kentucky-bred."
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
