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Ring Weekend avoids upset as Hill Prince choice

Soft ground proved no hindrance to Ring Weekend in the Hill Prince (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography) Ring Weekend slogged his way through soft going to land the Grade 3, $500,000 Hill Prince by a half-length over Belmont Park's inner turf on Saturday. Under Irad Ortiz Jr., the West Point Thoroughbreds and St. Elias Stable representative was a ground-saving fourth as Smooth Daddy led through tepid splits of :26 1/5, :52 and 1:17 4/5 over the deep going. In the stretch, Ring Weekend split rivals to challenge Smooth Daddy, moved to the front inside the final sixteenth and held off 39-1 longshot Daddy's Kid while bumping the runner-up strides before the wire. A stewards' inquiry and jockey's claim of foul by Travis Dunkelberger, the rider of Daddy's Kid, were disallowed due to the infraction occurring so close to the wire. The 9-5 favorite in a field of nine three-year-olds, Ring Weekend returned $5.70 to win after completing nine furlongs in 1:55 2/5.

"I felt like he had more in the stretch, so I asked him but he took off and drifted out a little bit. I took a hold as soon as possible, and it was right before the wire," Ortiz said.

Daddy's Kid, who was making his stakes debut off back-to-back starter allowance wins in Maryland, finished three-quarters of a length ahead of 13-1 pacesetter Smooth Daddy. Pumpkin Rumble, Blacktype, Mr Speaker, Sheldon, Sloane Avenue, and Cabral rounded out the order of finish. Tourist was scratched.

This was the third graded stakes win for Ring Weekend, who garnered Grade 2 honors last March in the Tampa Bay Derby on the dirt. That race came a month after the chestnut beat maiden foes at Gulfstream Park in his fifth career start.

Second when heavily favored in the April 5 Calder Derby, Ring Weekend next ran fifth in the Preakness and then was eased in the Pegasus at Monmouth Park after showing early speed. He returned to the grass for the $100,000 Sir Cat at Saratoga on July 18, where he finished second to Tourist. The gelded son of Tapit rebounded to take the Saranac, a Grade 3 event, at Saratoga last time by 2 3/4 lengths.

Ring Weekend has now earned $855,160 from a line of 12-4-3-2.

Bred in Kentucky by Gainesway Thoroughbreds, Ring Weekend was sold for $310,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. He was produced by the multiple stakes-placed Free the Magic, a daughter of Cryptoclearance who has also reared the stakes-placed Bamboo.

Free the Magic is herself a half-sister to Group 3 winner Forest Wind and the Grade 3-placed stakes winners Three Generations and Flash of Joy. All three were produced by the French classic-placed Pompoes. Also descending from this family is Cayaya, a multiple Group 1 winner in Argentina.

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