by James Platz
The second series of the Kentucky Sires Stakes (KYSS) for 4-year-olds begins Monday afternoon (May 27) at Oak Grove with multiple $50,000 divisions. Admiral Hill’s connections have focused on the early heats with the late fall acquisition of him, and the Sweet Lou-Laura Hill gelding has already produced a pair of wins at the five-eighths mile oval. The Per Engblom trainee will look to score his fourth score of the season and continue the momentum in the sixth race of the day.
Last November, owner and breeder Tom Hill listed Admiral Hill for sale through onGait. The gelding had earned more than a quarter of a million dollars under the tutelage of Chris Ryder, posting a time of 1:48.3 in his second year. Matt Morrison purchased the pacemaker for $261,000 and sent it to Engblom to be refurbished. The conditioner said Kentucky’s lucrative program for 4-year-olds factored into the purchase.
“That’s something we took into consideration when we bid on the horse, that he had these races coming up,” Engblom said. “It’s just great. The Graduates and all the other races are nice, but a little ruthless. This is a series where you can sit back and let a horse develop. “It’s just a great program.”
Admiral Hill began his campaign at The Meadowlands, winning the feature on April 6 with a 1:50 performance. Since his shipment to the Bluegrass State, the gelding has adjusted very well through the first KYSS series at Oak Grove. Led first by David Miller and then by Yannick Gingras, Admiral Hill claimed victory in the first two games.
Ejected as the No. 4 favorite in the $100,000 final held on May 13, Gingras shot for the lead when the wings folded, but had to settle for the pocket seat behind It’s My Show after fighting for an early panel of: 25.4. Returning home, Admiral Hill had pace but had nowhere to go until late, working his way through the horses in the final strides to save third place. Surprise winner Combustion and runner-up Tip Top Cat, both with double-digit odds and open track to the outside, fired late to hit the wire together, separated by a head, in a time of 1:49.1.
“Except for a little traffic problem in the last race, we’re off to a good start,” Engblom said. “He hasn’t disappointed yet. He has a tremendous turn of speed. It has two fingers. When you ask him, he just turns it on right away.”
A winner in three of his first four starts of the season, the gelding has amassed $75,200 for Morrison Racing Stables and brought his career tally to just under $360,000. After purchasing onGait last November, Engblom entered Admiral Hill for a single start at The Meadowlands, winning in early December before kicking him out.
“It was very easy,” said Engblom, who currently leads all North American trainers in earnings and is second in wins. “He’s just a very nice horse to be around. He makes my life and the caregiver’s life so much easier. He was in very good shape when he arrived. We trained him for a couple of weeks, put him right in the box and he was great right away. “This winter has passed without incident.”
Although Admiral Hill is eligible for the Graduate Series, the coach is determined to keep the pacemaker at Kentucky. The second KYSS series offers a trio of $50,000 stages with a $150,000 final, scheduled for June 25.
“We’ll stay in Oak Grove and see what happens,” he said. “We pay the Graduate, so we have that option if we want to take it to The Meadowlands. He won’t be going to Mohawk for the first leg, but if we really want to take him to The Meadowlands, we can do that. I really doubt it. He will most likely stay in Oak Grove for now.”
Engblom coaches Admiral Hill through the 4-year-old transition season with the future in mind, and hopes to have a good older pacer in the coming years.
“We took a long-term approach to it,” he said. “We competed with him once last year and then we eliminated him. Since he is a gelding, we are obviously looking beyond that as well. He is a horse we want to have in top condition for many years. “That’s why we chose the route we took.”
Once the Oak Grove meet concludes on July 16, Engblom said Admiral Hill’s schedule could include select stakes.
“There are stock races coming up at The Red Mile, but we’re also betting on some open events this fall,” he said. “Hopefully the Breeders Crown is a goal, but that’s very, very far away, and it’s another big leap to take.”
A lot can happen in the months between now and October. For now, Admiral Hill has found a home in Oak Grove and is succeeding thanks to his connections.
Keynote USA
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