By Alan Carasso
Impressive winner of the GIII Gotham Stakes over the local main track to begin the season, 'TDN Rising Star' Deterministic (Liam's Map) has found his footing on the grass during the second half of the campaign and won for second time at the graded level over the surface, validating 7-4 favoritism in Saturday's GIII Hill Prince Stakes at Aqueduct.
Victorious in the GIII Virginia Derby ahead of a game runner-up effort in the GIII Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes over a mile and three furlongs last time, the $625,000 Keeneland September yearling was away alertly from a low draw and dropped over to the rail to box-seat the nine-panel test as the rail-drawn Parx raider Bartlett (Not This Time) was left to his own devices up front. Traveling nicely in hand and switched off down the backstretch, Deterministic was given a nudge entering the turn, pushed away from the inside to deliver his challenge in the two-wide line in upper stretch, took command a furlong out and was always holding 2-1 second choice Cugino (Twirling Candy) for a cozy success. Royal Majesty (GB) (Frankel {GB}) was third.
“He's never run a bad race on the turf,” said winning trainer Christophe Clement. “He's a fun horse. He's won three graded stakes and it's not easy to win three graded stakes in the same year.”
Unplaced and well-beaten in the GII Wood Memorial Stakes and GIII Peter Pan Stakes following his first-up win in the Gotham, Deterministic was narrowly second when making his turf debut in the GIII Manila Stakes here June 29 and was a gaining third to Carson's Run (Cupid) in the Aug. 11 GI Saratoga Derby Invitational. A neck best at even-money in New Kent Sept. 7, he just failed to reel in Carson's Run in the Jockey Club Derby.
Clement said he would resist the urge to try Deterministic in a race like the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf in early 2025.
“I don't like the Pegasus for 3-year-olds turning four,” the Frenchman explained. “I like to take on older horses as the year goes on. He's been running all year long and he's been working since January, so I think he deserves a break. The smart thing to do is to give him a break and bring him back as a 4-year-old and have a complete campaign in New York next year.”
Pedigree Notes:
Acquired by Michael Wallace as agent for St Elias Stables, Deterministic was the joint most-expensive of 58 yearlings by his successful sire sold in 2022. The dark bay is one of three winners from as many to race from his dam, a half-sister to the Grade II-placed Duff One (Harlan's Holiday), while the bulk of the family's black-type occurs in the third dam.
The stakes-winning Amelia, a half-sister to Bertolini (Danzig), was responsible for seven winners, including the Japanese group-level winners Rabbit Run (Tapit) and Asukusa Genki (Stormy Atlantic); GSW & GISP Rainha Da Bateria (Broken Vow); GSW Assateague (Stormy Atlantic); GSW/GISP Kindergarden Kid (Dynaformer); and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up He's Had Enough (Tapit). Deterministic's fifth dam is Courtly Dee (Never Bend), herself responsible for champion Althea (Alydar) and Aurora (Danzig), the dam of the influential Arch (Kris S.).
Giulio's Jewel's last-listed produce is the 2-year-old filly Morana (Frosted). Another of the mare's daughters, the unraced 5-year-old Seeking Mo Jewel (Nyquist), was sold for $100,000 in foal to Maclean's Music at Keeneland November earlier this week.
Saturday, Aqueduct
HILL PRINCE S.-GIII, $200,000, Aqueduct, 11-9, 3yo, 1 1/8mT, 1:46.58, fm.
1–DETERMINISTIC, 124, c, 3, by Liam's Map
1st Dam: Giulio's Jewel, by Speightstown
2nd Dam: Acadiana, by Tiznow
3rd Dam: Amelia, by Dixieland Band
($625,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). 'TDN Rising Star'. O-St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, C. Steven Duncker and Vicarage Stable; B-Hinkle Farms (KY); T-Christophe Clement; J-Joel Rosario. $110,000. Lifetime Record: GISP, 9-4-2-1, $886,390. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Cugino, 122, c, 3, Twirling Candy–Adorable Miss, by Kitten's Joy. ($225,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-West Point Thoroughbreds and Jimmy Kahig LLC; B-Gage Hill Stables, LLC & W. S. Farish (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III. $40,000.
3–Royal Majesty (GB), 118, c, 3, Frankel (GB)–Crown Queen, by Smart Strike. O/B-Besilu Stables LLC (GB); T-William I. Mott. $24,000.
Margins: 1, 2HF, 1 3/4. Odds: 1.75, 2.40, 4.50.
Also Ran: Right to Vote, Bartlett, Desvio, Main Beach.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
DETERMINISTIC was determined to win on the turf!🌿The 3YO son of @LanesEndFarms stallion Liam's Map wins the G3 Hill Prince Stakes under @JRosarioJockey for trainer @clementstable. pic.twitter.com/d9aaJYcyW7
— NYRA (🗽) (@TheNYRA) November 9, 2024
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