Hill Road headlines G2 Jockey Club Derby Inv.
At 0h02, on October 1, 2025 • By Belmont Park
Amo Racing USA’s Hill Road returned to turf last out and now rides a strong third into Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Jockey Club Derby Invitational, an 11-furlong inner turf test for sophomores, at Belmont at the Big A.
Trained by five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, the Quality Road colt enters from a closing third in the 1 5/16-mile Grade 3 Nashville Derby on August 30 at Kentucky Downs. There, Hill Road traveled well off the pace in 10th-of-12 early and rallied to land show honors 3 3/4 lengths back of the photo finish between the victorious Wimbledon Hawkeye and Burnham Square.
Hill Road made five starts on dirt leading up to his last effort, highlighted by a closing score in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Peter Pan in May here. As a 2-year-old for conditioner Adrian Murray, the bay started twice on turf in Ireland, piloted by returning jockey David Egan in both races including a debut graduation at Leopardstown, ahead of a third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on dirt at Del Mar.
Hill Road [post 4, David Egan] was no match for the streaking Sovereignty in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets or Grade 2 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun at Saratoga Race Course ahead of his return to the lawn.
Hill Road was a $350,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Exotic Notion, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winning multimillionaire and top sire City of Light.
