Hill Prince Stakes
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Queens, New York, United States
| Class | Grade III stakes |
|---|---|
| Location | Aqueduct Racetrack Queens, New York, United States |
| Inaugurated | 1975 (at Belmont Park as Hill Prince Handicap) |
| Race type | Thoroughbred – Flat racing |
| Website | NYRA |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1+1⁄8 miles (9 furlongs) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | Three-year-olds |
| Weight | 124 lbs. with allowances |
| Purse | $200,000 (2024) |
The Hill Prince Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of one and one-eight miles (9 furlongs) on the turf annually in November at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. The event currently carries a purse of $200,000.
The race is named for Christopher Chenery's Hall of Fame colt, Hill Prince.[1]
The inaugural running took place as the Hill Prince Handicap on 26 October 1975 and was run at a distance of a mile and three-eights. It was won on a disqualification by Gustave Ring's homebred colt Don Jack.[2]
The following year the event was scheduled in June at a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles.[3]
The Hill Prince Stakes was hosted by Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York in 1979, 1980, and again in 1982.[4]
In 1981 was classified Grade III by the American Graded Stakes Committee.[3]
The race was run in two divisions in 1982.[5] The second division was won by Larida, the only filly to have won this event.[6]
The event has been moved off the turf due to track conditions in 1998, 2003 and 2009 but has not had its classification downgraded.[4]
Primarily the event had been scheduled in early spring but in 2014 NYRA moved the event to October and increased the stakes significantly to $500,000.[3] In 2018 the event was upgraded to Grade II status.[3]
The event was moved in the schedule to November in 2023 and is held at Aqueduct Racetrack.[3]
In 2024 the American Graded Stakes Committee downgraded the event to Grade III status.[7]
Records
Speed record:
- 1 mile: 1:33.45 – Marcavelly (2007)
- 1+1⁄16 miles: 1:39.70 – Optic Nerve (1996)
- 1+1⁄8 miles: 1:45.96 – Subordination (1997)
Margins:
- 7+1⁄4 lengths – Street Game (2011)
Most wins by an owner:
- 4 – Klaravich Stables (1997, 2006, 2015, 2021)
Most wins by a jockey:
- 4 – Ángel Cordero Jr. (1978, 1981, 1988, 1991)
- 4 – Jerry Bailey (1983, 1992, 1994, 1995)
Most wins by a trainer:
- 4 – William I. Mott (1993, 1995, 2007, 2017)
- 4 – Christophe Clement (2008, 2012, 2018, 2024)