Kentucky Derby 2019 Radar: Fortin Hill rolls for OXO Equine
Instagrand’s owner debuted another 2-year-old to watch on Friday as Fortin Hill, a 2-year-old son of Mucho Macho Man, began to justify a $575,000 price tag in Belmont Park’s sixth race.
Sent off at 6-5 in a field of six, the colt broke “like a shot,” as track announcer Larry Collmus said, before settling just off Starting Point, who was sent to the front. Fortin Hill took over into the stretch and ran to a 5 1/2-length victory first out under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who needed only two cracks of the whip to keep his mount focused. The Chad Brown trainee’s final time for six furlongs was a snappy 1:09.56.
For that, Fortin Hill’s on the 2019 Kentucky Derby Radar.
Larry Best’s OXO Equine, of course, also campaigned Instilled Regard, this year’s fourth-place Derby finisher who’s also now in Brown’s care. Unbeaten Instagrand, the juvenile star getting time off, along with many other OXO charges are based on the West Coast with trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.
Just two from the Hoosier State — Navajo in 1973 and Paulrus in 1991 — have started on the first Saturday in May. Both finished seventh, though Indiana’s breeding program is on the upswing with two Breeders’ Cup runners last year and at least one this year, Bucchero, the turf sprinter who won Keeneland’s Woodford Stakes (G2) last weekend.
Starting Point’s opening fractions Friday went in 22.91 second for the quarter mile and 46.08 for the half. He faded to fourth by 14 legnths as Fortin Hill charged past the wire.
Having saddled Good Magic for his runner-up Derby finish, Brown is looking loaded for next year's crop. He has five dirt runners in the Top 50 of our 2019 Kentucky Derby contenders list: Looking At Bikinis (11th), Complexity (13th), U S Navy Cross (21st), Aurelius Maximus (24th) and Standard Deviation (27th).
Checking the Derby Radar boxes for Fortin Hill:
Broke maiden on major circuit
Connections with Derby experience