Hill Road

Hill Road made the first two starts of his career in Ireland, winning his debut by five lengths before finishing seventh in the Group 1 Vincent O’Brien National Stakes.

Trainer Adrian Murray then shipped the Quality Road colt to the U.S. for the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Nov. 1, 2024, at Del Mar. Hill Road rallied from last of 10 and 8 ¾ lengths off the pace to finish third in the 1 1/16-mile Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, 4 ¾ lengths behind winner Citizen Bull.

Hill Road returned for his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 3 $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby going 1 1/16 miles on March 8, 2025, and finished third, beaten 6 1/4 lengths.

Hill Road failed to make a start in another Kentucky Derby prep race in the spring of 2025, but he did give himself the chance to re-enter the Triple Crown picture later in his next start when he won the Grade 3 $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont at the Big A on May 10. Sent off as the 2.05-1 second choice in a field of nine 3-year-olds in the Peter Pan, Hill Road rallied from near the rear of the field in the 1 1/8-mile race to get up a few steps before the wire and score the three-quarters of a length victory with Flavien Prat aboard. The Peter Pan is often used as a prep race for horses targeting the Belmont Stakes in their next race.

Hill Road was produced by the Lemon Drop Kid mare Exotic Nation, a stakes-placed winner and a half-sister (same dam, different sire) to 2018 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and 2019 Pegasus World Cup winner City of Light, by Quality Road.