Hit Show

Hit Show was an immediate smash hit on the racetrack, winning his 2-year-old career debut by 5 1/4 lengths in a Keeneland seven-furlong maiden race on Oct. 9, 2022. He lost his second start but then rebounded in his third career start to win a non-winners of two allowance race by 3 1/2 lengths in a two-turn mile race at Oaklawn Park on Dec. 17 to round out his juvenile campaign.

Hit Show made his stakes debut in his first outing as a 3-year-old in the $250,000 Grade 3 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct on Feb. 11, 2023. Sent off as the 6-5 favorite on the tote board in a field of seven, Hit Show sat off a live pace in mid-pack and then rolled past the leaders to a big 5 1/2-length victory. His winning time for the 1 1/8-mile distance was 1:54.71.  The Withers was a points race on the Road to the 2023 Kentucky Derby, and with his win, Hit Show earned 20 qualifying points.

Hit Show made his next start in the Grade 2 $750,000 Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct. Hit Show drew the far outside post 12 in a 12-horse field in the Wood Memorial but was sent off as the 1.70-1 favorite and ran a game effort in defeat when he came-up a nose short to 59-1 longshot Lord Miles in a three-horse photo along with Dreamlike. The Wood Memorial was a maximum points race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, and Hit Show earned 40 more points for his runner-up finish, giving him 60 points in total and clinching himself a spot in the starting gate for the run for the roses.

Some would say that Hit Show was unlucky to have lost such a tight photo finish in the Wood Memorial, and his run of bad luck continued at the post position draw for his next start in the Kentucky Derby. Hit Show drew the disadvantageous post No. 1 in an 18-horse field in the Kentucky Derby, and at post time he was sent off as a 24-1 longshot. Considering the draw, Hit Show went on to run an admirable race to finish fifth in the run for the roses, beaten a total of 6 1/4 lengths. After making a menacing move into contention on the far turn, he flattened out in the stretch. 

After the Kentucky Derby, Hit Show ran well to finish in a dead heat for fourth in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets, and then closed out his 3-year-old season with fifth- and sixth-place finishes in the Jim Dandy Stakes Presented by DK Horse and the Oklahoma Derby, respectively.

Returning for a 4-year-old campaign in 2024, Hit Show started off strong with a 2 ¼-length win in a 1 1/8-mile allowance optional claiming race at Churchill Downs in May but then disappointed when finishing seventh of 10 as the 9-5 favorite in the Grade 3 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap in July. He was sent off as the 7-5 second favorite in his next start, the Grade 3 West Virginia Governor’s Stakes Aug. 4 at Mountaineer Racetrack and Casino, and benefited from a skilled ride from jockey Florent Geroux to prevail by a half-length after angling to the inside and rallying late.

Hit Show added another 2024 victory to his ledger when able to come out on top in the Grade 2 $500,000 Lukas Classic Stakes going 1 1/8 miles on a sloppy main track at Churchill Downs on Sept. 28. Hit Show stalked the pace and prevailed by a neck after a stretch battle to get ahead and stay ahead of runner up Cooke Creek. He then won again in his next start which came at the 2024 Keeneland fall meet in the Grade 2 $350,000 Hagyard Fayette Stakes going 1 1/8 miles on Oct. 26. Hit Show rallied from a stalking position and wore down an eight-horse field by a winning margin of three-quarters of a length as the 3-5 favorite.

Hit Show is trained by Brad Cox. He was bred in Kentucky by the sire Candy Ride out of the mare Actress by Tapit.