Bricks and Mortar Stands Tall in Belmont's Hill Prince

Bricks and Mortar will try to get back to the winning tradition he authored in his first four races when he faces eight foes in the Oct. 7 Hill Prince Stakes (G3T) going nine furlongs on the inner turf course at Belmont Park. The $500,000 Hill Prince is for 3-year-olds.

Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence’s Bricks and Mortar scored stakes wins on the turf in the July 4 Manila at Belmont and then in the Aug. 4 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course from off the pace and stalking positions. The Chad Brown trainee checked in third last out in the Saranac Stakes (G3T) after encountering trouble at the start.

Frostmourne is on a two-race winning streak in graded company, having most recently taken the Kent Stakes (G3T) after proving best in the Penn Mile Stakes (G2T) for Green Lantern Stables.  A projected start in the grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington International Racecourse was averted in August, and now the Hill Prince seems like the perfect return to afternoon running for trainer Christophe Clement.

"He's training well. We missed the summer," Clement said. "I didn't think he was training that well for the Secretariat. He's had a little bit of time off and he's a fresh horse. I hope I've got him fit enough, but his works have been good."

He also utilizes a stalking or mid-pack running style. Ticonderoga failed to fire in the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) last out, coming in ninth, but the come-from-behind runner captured the Palm Beach Stakes (G3T) in his seasonal bow this March for owners Woodford Racing.

Yoshida, owned by WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, SF Racing, and Head of Plains Partners, and Small Bear, owned by August Dawn Farm, have each finished second in their last two starts—Yoshida in the Hall of Fame and Saranac Stakes, and Small Bear in the Curlin and Better Talk Now Stakes. Neither has shown an abundance of early speed, and the pace of the Hill Prince could well come up slow, compromising their late kicks.

Allen Stable’s Secretary At War drew the rail, and is a candidate to assume the early lead here. He won the Woodhaven Stakes in front-running fashion in April, although last out at Kentucky Downs he kicked on from the back of the pack to finish second in the Franklin-Simpson Stakes Sept. 14 .

Hieroglyphics won the Better Talk Now over the inner turf at Saratoga in his first try in stakes company last out, and the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners runner looks like he can sit just off the lead. Heiroglyphics has never been worse than second since his fourth-place finish in his second start on turf, which followed a sprint at Gulfstream in which he missed victory by a nose. Efforts have shown that he can handle two turns, and the added ground he will face here is another test that trainer Todd Pletcher is giving his colt.

"We always felt like he'd handle that distance and now it's time to see if he can step up into graded stakes," Pletcher said. "He's gradually been improving. He's always run competitively but I thought the Better Talk Now was kind of a breakthrough performance. It seemed like a higher-level race than what he'd been running. It's another step forward. Hopefully he can take it."

Rocketry ran fourth in the Saranac in his first stakes try for Centennial Farms last out. Lucullan steps into stakes company for the first time for Godolphin Racing after scoring in allowance company at a mile over the Belmont grass.

Entries: Hill Prince S. (G3T)

Belmont Park, Saturday, October 07, 2017, Race 9

• Grade III
• 1 1/8m
• Inner turf
• $500,000
• 3 yo
• 4:48 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Secretary At War (KY)	Junior Alvarado	116	James A. Jerkens	15/1
2	2Yoshida (JPN)	Manuel Franco	116	William I. Mott	7/2
3	3Small Bear (KY)	Luis Saez	116	Jeremiah C. Englehart	20/1
4	4Frostmourne (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	120	Christophe Clement	5/2
5	5Lucullan (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	116	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	8/1
6	6Bricks and Mortar (KY)	Joel Rosario	120	Chad C. Brown	3/1
7	7Hieroglyphics (KY)	John R. Velazquez	116	Todd A. Pletcher	12/1
8	8Ticonderoga (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Chad C. Brown	10/1
9	9Rocketry (KY)	Nik Juarez	116	James A. Jerkens	8/1