Horse Profile: Hill Road

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Scouting Report

(Editor's note: Originally published in the 2024 BRISnet Breeders' Cup International Report)

The lone European-trained entrant brings pedigree intrigue as a close relative of 2018 Dirt Mile romper City of Light (sire of Fierceness, last year’s Juvenile champion and current Classic contender). But Hill Road comes off a subpar effort, and one recent report had suggested that he might not run again this season. 

A $350,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, Hill Road is by Quality Road, who has sired a total of four Breeders’ Cup winners including City of Light and 2021 Juvenile champion Corniche. Hill Road’s dam, the Lemon Drop Kid mare Exotic Notion, was stakes-placed on the dirt in Argentina. She is herself a half-sister to City of Light, making Hill Road his three-quarter brother.

Hill Road joined the AMO Racing fold based in Ireland with Adrian Murray, who also has Arizona Blaze in the Juvenile Turf Sprint. Scratched from his intended debut when he was coughing, Hill Road took in a practice run instead in a May 27 barrier trial at Naas and came out on top. He was entered back at the Curragh on June 5, only to scratch again due to a cough. Murray later said that they opted to give him more time to mature. 

Finally on Aug. 8, Hill Road made his first on-the-record start at Leopardstown and won handsomely by five lengths. The 11-2 chance looked professional as he stalked and stretched clear in the one-mile event that attracted several promising types. Runner-up Shackleton and fourth-place favorite Trinity College, both Ballydoyle pupils, eventually went on to place at the Group 3 level. 

Hill Road was reportedly eyeing a return to the same course and distance for the Champions Juvenile (G2). But instead, Hill Road went for the bigger prize in the division on Irish Champions weekend, the Vincent O’Brien National (G1). That involved a class hike while shortening up to seven furlongs at the Curragh. The 14-1 shot initially took up a stalking spot again, but he was beaten already at halfway and wound up a disappointing seventh of eight behind Scorthy Champ and Henri Matisse (Juvenile Turf).

In an Oct. 20 story appearing on irishracing.com, Murray sounded as though Hill Road needed more time:

“He was a bit under the weather after his last race.

“We’ve nothing planned; he isn’t telling us he’s ready to run again and we might just leave him off for next year.”

Hill Road must have turned the corner in the past week or so for the AMO Racing brain trust to advance to Del Mar. He was also pre-entered for the Juvenile Turf, officially as his first preference, although those pre-entry statements aren’t definitive. In any event, the dirt became the only remaining option once he was relegated too far down the list in an oversubscribed Juvenile Turf.

In different circumstances, Hill Road would be a more appealing turf-to-dirt candidate. Aside from the uncertain vibes from his trainer, his lack of racing experience is another possible hurdle. 

All four European-based winners of this race had ample campaigns before they ventured stateside – the spectacular Arazi (1991) and Johannesburg (2002), along with the surprising Wilko (2004) and Vale of York (on synthetic in 2009).