Frankel's Urban King Leads Hill Prince Field

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A week after winning his first Triple Crown race with Empire Maker in the 135th Belmont Stakes, Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel sets his sights on another graded stakes race for three-year-olds at Belmont Park.

On Thursday morning, Frankel entered the Irish-bred Urban King in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000-added Hill Prince at nine furlongs on the turf. Eight three-year-old colts were entered in the body of the race and four were entered as main track only. Scattered thunderstorms are forecast on both Friday and Saturday.

The Hill Prince is the co-feature on a 10-race card that also includes the Grade 2, $250,000 Brooklyn Handicap. The Brooklyn, which drew some of racing's leading handicap horses, will be televised live on CBS. The 60-minute telecast begins at 5 p.m. EDT.

A son of Desert King, Urban King won two of three starts as a juvenile last year in France before joining Frankel's California string in early winter. He has only run once for Frankel, finishing third in Santa Anita's La Puente in mid April. Since shipping to New York, Urban King has recorded four published workouts, the most recent an easy five-furlong breeze on June 9th. Frankel, however, said he had hoped to do more with Urban King in preparation for the Hill Prince.

"I'd like him to be a little fitter," said Frankel, who had scratched Urban King out of the off-the-turf Jersey Derby a few weeks ago. "I think he's a nice horse. He's fit enough to run well, but the weather has hurt us."

The prospects for a firm turf course for Saturday's Hill Prince appear to slim. The New York metropolitan area was hit with another heavy rainstorm early Thursday morning and scattered thunderstorms are forecast for Thursday evening, Friday and Saturday. Urban King, who drew the rail in the Hill Prince, owns a maiden victory achieved over a yielding course last September.

"He's won on it, but I'm hoping for a fast turf course because of his fitness," said Frankel, who won the 2000 Hill Prince with Promontory Gold.

Jockey Edgar Prado, who rode Frankel's 2000 Hill Prince winner Promontory Gold, has the mount on Urban King.

By the time Sunday's finale rolls around, trainer Todd Pletcher hopes to have already put the finishing touches on a big weekend here at Belmont.

Pletcher's biggest bullet comes with the overachieving Harlan's Holiday in Saturday's Brooklyn. He also has major players in both of the weekend's turf stakes with Lismore Knight and Ocean Drive. Lismore Knight, who drew post 2 in the Hill Prince, broke his maiden by nine lengths on Belmont's Widener Turf Course last July.

A second to Peace Rules in Hollywood's Generous last November, however, would be the colt's last start for nearly six months.
"He had lost a little weight and we thought it would be best to freshen him up," Pletcher said. "We weren't in any rush getting him back this year. There's plenty of spots to run him in."

Four weeks ago, Lismore Knight had little trouble handling a second-level allowance field as the 3-5 favorite. The length victory under jockey John Velazquez brought the colt's Belmont turf record to a perfect 2 for 2. Since, Pletcher has breezed the son of Woodman twice.

The Field for Saturday's Grade 3 Hill Prince:
Post, Horse, Trainer, Jockey, and Weight:
1. Urban King, Bobby Frankel, Edgar Prado, 114
2. Lismore Knight, Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez, 120
3. Charge, Shug McGaughey, Eibar Coa, 120
4. Elusive Gentleman, Nick Zito, Javier Castellano, 118
5. Silver Tree, Bill Mott, Richard Migliore, 114
6. Chilly Rooster, H. Allen Jerkens, Jose Espinoza, 114
7. Hypnotist, Barclay Tagg, Shaun Bridgmohan, 120
8. Kicken Kris, Michael Matz, Jorge Chavez, 114

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