Hill Prince (1947–1970) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was one of the leading American two-year-olds of 1949, alongside Oil Capitol and Middleground. In 1950, he ran fifteen times, winning races including the Preakness Stakes, Wood Memorial Stakes, Withers Stakes, American Derby, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Jerome Handicap and Sunset Handicap and being named American Horse of the Year. Hill Prince raced for two further seasons and had some success despite a number of injuries and training problems. He later became a moderately successful breeding stallion.

Background

Hill Prince was a bay horse sired by Princequillo, a leading racehorse who became a highly successful breeding stallion. Hill Prince was one of his first crop of foals. His dam Hildene went on to produce First Landing, the American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt of 1958.{{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LhVVOWZ5QR0C&q=%22Hill+Prince%22&pg=PA50 |title=Belmont Park: A Century Of Champions |author=Richard Stone Reeves, Edward L Bowen |publisher=Blood-horse Publications |year=2005 |isbn=9781581501223 |access-date=2012-04-28}} The colt was bred in at his owner Christopher Chenery's Meadow Farm stud near Doswell, Virginia. Hill Prince was trained for Chenery by J. H. "Casey" Hayes.

Racing career

=1949: two-year-old season=

At age two Hill Prince won six of the first seven races he entered, his only defeat coming when he failed to recover from a poor start in the Sapling Stakes. At Aqueduct Race Track in September he won the Cowdin Stakes to establish himself as one of the season's leading juveniles, coming from last place on a muddy track to win by two and a half lengths from Selector in a track record time of 1:16.6.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ji0sAAAAIBAJ&pg=4473,4216904&dq=hill-prince&hl=en |title=Hill Prince sets Aqueduct Record |publisher=Ottawa Citizen |date=September 15, 1949 |access-date=2012-04-26}} At the end of the year he was voted American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt, in the Daily Racing Form poll.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=l_lOAAAAIBAJ&pg=4415,5845240&dq=hill-prince&hl=en |title=Capot captures Horse of the Year Award |publisher=Toledo Blade |date=November 28, 1949 |access-date=2012-04-26}} In the rival Turf and Sport Digest poll he was narrowly defeated by Oil Capitol,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OK40AAAAIBAJ&pg=921,2144802&dq=oil-capitol&hl=en |title=Coaltown is named "Horse of the Year" |publisher=Schenectady Gazette |date=14 December 1949 |access-date=2012-04-26}} while Middleground was top-rated in the Experimental Free Handicap.

=1950: three-year-old season=

From the start of the 1950 season, Hill Prince was regarded as one of the main contenders for the Triple Crown races, along with Oil Capitol, Middleground, and the Californian colt Your Host.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZTs0AAAAIBAJ&pg=5998,7615157&dq=hill-prince&hl=en |title=California Dreams Again |publisher=Miami News |date=January 29, 1950 |access-date=2012-04-26}} On his seasonal debut he won the Experimental Handicap No. 1 at Jamaica, leading to him being promoted to challenge Oil Capitol as Derby favorite.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MLIzAAAAIBAJ&pg=4289,2953515&dq=hill-prince&hl=en |title=Hill Prince wins |publisher=Miami News |date=April 6, 1950 |access-date=2012-04-26}} Two weeks later, however, he finished ninth behind lightly weighted Lotowhite in the Experimental Handicap No. 2 at the same track.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XxQ0AAAAIBAJ&pg=6169,4853846&dq=hill-prince&hl=en |title=Hill Prince bounced around |publisher=Miami News |date=April 19, 1950 |access-date=2012-04-26}} Less than a week after this effort, Hill Prince re-established his position at the head of the Derby contenders with a two-length win over a strong field, including Middleground, in the Wood Memorial.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NLMyAAAAIBAJ&pg=3216,753253&dq=hill-prince&hl=en |title=Hill Prince comes back |publisher=Miami News |date=April 23, 1950 |access-date=2012-04-26}}

Ridden by Eddie Arcaro in the Kentucky Derby, Hill Prince finished second to Middleground. A week after his defeat in the Derby, Hill Prince reversed the form with Middleground when beating the Derby winner by one and a half lengths in the Withers Stakes at Belmont.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1XEmAAAAIBAJ&pg=5495,1277582&dq=hill-prince&hl=en |title=Hill Prince wins Withers |publisher=Sunday Herald |date=May 14, 1950 |access-date=2012-04-27}} Following this victory, Hill Prince started favorite for the Preakness Stakes and recorded a decisive win over Middleground, drawing away in the straight to win by five lengths from the "Texas Terror" in front of a crowd of 30,000.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=31sbAAAAIBAJ&pg=4836,2268630&dq=hill-prince&hl=en |title=Hill Prince easily wins Preakness |publisher=Pittsburgh Press |date=May 21, 1950 |access-date=2012-04-27}} Shortly after his win in the Preakness, Hill Prince was matched against older horses in the Suburban Handicap and finished third to Loser Weeper, having reportedly bled from his nostrils at the finish.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=i_UiAAAAIBAJ&pg=2901,3071488&dq=hill-prince&hl=en |title=Hill Prince loses handicap debut |publisher=Palm Beach Post |date=May 31, 1950 |access-date=2012-04-27}} In the Belmont Stakes Hill Prince fought Eddie Arcaro's attempts to restrain him and took the lead in the early stages but tired badly towards the finish and finished seventh to Middleground.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=s21gAAAAIBAJ&pg=3584,3670867&dq=hill-prince&hl=en |title=Hill Prince big puzzle to race fans |publisher=Star-News |date=June 12, 1950 |access-date=2012-04-27}}

Later in June, Hill Prince started favorite for the Dwyer Stakes and led by three lengths entering the straight, but was overtaken in the closing stages and beaten one and a half lengths by Greek Song. In August, Hill Prince faced a field including Your Host in the American Derby and displayed "blistering speed" in the last six furlongs to win by one and a half lengths from All Blue.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FtUyAAAAIBAJ&pg=3931,6366552&dq=hill-prince&hl=en |title=Hill Prince captures big American Derby |publisher=Sunday Herald |date=August 20, 1950 |access-date=2012-04-27}} In September, he won the Jerome Handicap. As usual, he was towards the back of the field in the early stages before producing a "sensational" run to take the lead in the straight and win easily.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=12A0AAAAIBAJ&pg=3191,2994335&dq=hill-prince&hl=en |title=Hill Prince Cops Jerome |publisher=Miami News |date=September 21, 1950 |access-date=2012-04-27}} In the Jockey Club Gold Cup over two miles at Belmont in October, Hill Prince established his position as the best horse in America as he "cakewalked" to a four length victory over the Irish-bred Noor.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZNUyAAAAIBAJ&pg=4088,4648541&dq=hill-prince&hl=en |title=Gold Cup won by Hill Prince |publisher=Sunday Herald |date=October 1, 1950 |access-date=2012-04-27}} In November, Hill Prince was sent to California to take on Your Host on the latter's home ground in the Thanksgiving Day Handicap and was beaten in a photo finish in front of "40,000 howling fans".{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=q3YjAAAAIBAJ&pg=3750,4900391&dq=hill-prince&hl=en |title=Your Host wins |publisher=Daytona Beach Morning Journal |date=November 23, 1950 |access-date=2012-04-27}} Hill Prince stayed in California for his last two starts of the year: he finished third to Noor in the Hollywood Gold Cup and then won the Sunset Handicap, coming from the back of the field to overtake the champion filly Next Move in the closing stages.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2229&dat=19501217&id=1FglAAAAIBAJ&pg=2111,6216960 |title=Hill Prince wins Sunset Handicap |publisher=Sunday Herald |date=December 17, 1950 |access-date=2012-04-28}} At the end of the season, Hill Prince was selected as Horse of the Year in all three major polls (Daily Racing Form, Thoroughbred Racing Association, Turf and Sport Digest).{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mBRVAAAAIBAJ&pg=2935,5232986&dq=hill-prince+horse-of-the-year&hl=en |title=Hill Prince earns another Ballot as Horse of the Year |publisher=Miami News |date=1950-12-19 |access-date=2012-02-27 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

=1951-1952: later career=

In January 1951, Hill Prince sustained a broken bone in his right hind leg when being prepared for the Santa Anita Maturity{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_3goAAAAIBAJ&pg=4452,4557042&dq=hill-prince&hl=en |title=Hill Prince is again hit by hard luck |publisher=Daytona Beach Morning Journal |date=January 30, 1951 |access-date=2012-04-28}} and was forced to miss the first eight months of the season. In September, he returned to run third in an allowance race at Aqueduct Race Track and then carried top weight to a five length victory in the New York Handicap at Belmont.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=23xaAAAAIBAJ&pg=2308,5775930&dq=hill-prince&hl=en |title=Hill Prince wins handicap |publisher=St. Petersburg Times |date=September 30, 1951 |access-date=2012-04-28}} In the following month Hill Prince failed to repeat his win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup when he was caught close to the finish and narrowly beaten by Counterpoint.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=p-pYAAAAIBAJ&pg=2778,3777133&dq=hill-prince&hl=en |title=Hill Prince is defeated |publisher=Youngstown Vindicator |date=October 13, 1951 |access-date=2012-04-28}} A week later, Hill Prince again finished fourth to Call Over in the Trenton Handicap. Hill Prince's performances were still good enough to be voted 1951's Handicap Horse of the Year in the Daily Racing Form and Thoroughbred Racing Association polls.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pkgpAAAAIBAJ&pg=4835,4549187&dq=hill-prince&hl=en |title=Counterpoint named Horse of the year |publisher=Lewiston Daily Sun |date=19 November 1951 |access-date=2012-04-28}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5idgAAAAIBAJ&pg=3365,3392158&dq=hill-prince&hl=en |title=Counterpoint awarded double distinction |publisher=Saskatoon Star-Phoenix |date=29 November 1951 |access-date=2012-04-28}} The Turf and Sport Digest award was won by Citation.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kEZPAAAAIBAJ&pg=3517,4500081&dq=counterpoint+horse-of-the-year&hl=en |title=Counterpoint, Citation are Honored |publisher=Deseret News |date=1951-12-20 |access-date=2012-02-27}}

As a five-year-old, Hill Prince won the San Marcos Handicap at Santa Anita in February,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Yo8yAAAAIBAJ&pg=3775,4395498&dq=hill-prince&hl=en |title=Windy City, Hill Prince score wins |publisher=Sunday Herald |date=February 10, 1952 |access-date=2012-04-28}} but finished fifth when favorite for the Santa Anita Handicap. Subsequent examinations revealed "filling" in the horse's right foreleg{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WgQVAAAAIBAJ&pg=5821,238921&dq=hill-prince&hl=en |title=Hill Prince slated for retirement |publisher=Free Lance-Star |date=March 4, 1952 |access-date=2012-04-28}} and Hill Prince was retired to stud.

Stud record

Hill Prince stood at the Claiborne Farm where he sired twenty-three stakes race winners including the 1957 American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly Bayou[http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/thoroughbred-racing/eclipse-award-winners U.S. Thoroughbred Champions at BloodHorse.com] as well as Coaching Club American Oaks winner Levee and the Gardenia Stakes winner Pepperwood. He was more important as a sire of broodmares and was the damsire of Hall of Fame horses, Shuvee and Dark Mirage.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i7ilgwjwtN4C&q=%22Hill+Prince%22&pg=PA11 |title=Legacies Of The Turf: A Century Of Great Thoroughbred Breeders |author=Edward L. Bowen |publisher=Blood-horse Publications |date=2004-11-25 |isbn=9781581501179 |access-date=2012-04-28}} Hill Prince died in 1970 and was interred at the Meadow Stud, next to Sun Beau.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tbheritage.com/TurfHallmarks/Graves/cem/GraveMattersMeadowStud.html|title=Grave Matters Meadow Stud}}

In 1991 Hill Prince was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.{{cite web |url=http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall-of-fame/horses-view.asp?varID=89 |title=National Museum of Racing, Hall of Fame, Thoroughbred Horses |publisher=Racingmuseum.org |access-date=2012-04-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120605223448/http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall-of-fame/horses-view.asp?varID=89 |archive-date=2012-06-05 }}

Pedigree

{{Pedigree

|name = Hill Prince{{cite web|url=http://www.chef-de-race.com/classic_winners/triple_crown_races/hill_prince.htm |title=Classic Winner: Hill Prince |publisher=Chef-de-race.com |access-date=2012-04-28}}

|f = Princequillo

|m = Hildene

|ff = Prince Rose

|fm = Cosquilla

|mf = Bubbling Over

|mm = Fancy Racket

|fff = Rose Prince

|ffm = Indolence

|fmf = Papyrus

|fmm = Quick Thought

|mff = North Star

|mfm = Beaming Beauty

|mmf = Wrack

|mmm = Ultimate Fancy

|ffff = Prince Palatine

|fffm = Eglantine

|ffmf = Gay Crusader

|ffmm = Barrier

|fmff = Tracery

|fmfm = Miss Matty

|fmmf = White Eagle

|fmmm = Mindful

|mfff = Sunstar

|mffm = Angelic

|mfmf = Sweep

|mfmm = Bellisario

|mmff = Robert le Diable

|mmfm = Samphire

|mmmf = Ultimus

|mmmm = Idle Fancy (Family 9-b{{cite web|url=http://www.bloodlines.net/TB/Families/Family9b.htm |title=Sweepstakes Mare - Family 9-b |publisher=Bloodlines.net |access-date=2012-04-28}})

|}}

References

Category:1947 racehorse births

Category:1970 racehorse deaths

Category:Racehorses bred in Virginia

Category:Racehorses trained in the United States

Category:American Thoroughbred Horse of the Year

Category:American Champion racehorses

Category:United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees

Category:Preakness Stakes winners

Category:Thoroughbred family 9-b