Integration goes for back-to-back graded wins in Hill Prince

Graded stakes-winner Integration will look to notch back-to-back graded victories in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Hill Prince, a nine-furlong inner-turf test for sophomores, at Aqueduct.

Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, the son of Quality Road was last seen scoring an off-the-pace triumph in the nine-furlong Virginia Derby (G3) on Sept. 9 at Colonial Downs in his first start against winners. There, he rated 6 1/2 lengths off the pace under returning rider Kendrick Carmouche and unleashed a strong turn of foot down the stretch to sweep past his rivals and prevail by 1 1/4 lengths over Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1) winner Program Trading. The effort was awarded a 96 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form.

McGaughey said the lightly raced Integration stepped up to the task gamely after an open-lengths debut graduation facing elders on Aug. 12 at the New Kent oval.

“I thought he ran really good (last time). I didn't know what to expect,” said McGaughey. “It's not my style to run a maiden winner back in a stake, but it looked like the time to take a chance and it worked out.”

The royally bred Integration was a $700,000 purchase at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale and is out of the multiple graded stakes-winning Scat Daddy mare Harmonize, who won the 2016 Del Mar Oaks (G1) going nine furlongs over the grass.

“He's a nice Quality Road looking horse. He cost $700,000 so he looks good and I knew his mother and watched her run,” McGaughey said. “It’s all worked out pretty good so far.”

Integration, who worked three furlongs in 39 seconds over Fair Hill’s all-weather surface on Saturday, will emerge from post 3.

Freedom Trail looks to break through at the graded level for trainer John Terranova after a strong optional claiming performance against elders on Sept. 21 at Belmont at the Big A. The son of Collected finished a game second to Exact Estimate, who was runner-up next out in the Artie Schiller, in a nine-furlong turf tilt when rallying from 6 1/2 lengths back and came up just a neck shy, earning a career-best 93 Beyer.

“Fantastic,” Terranova said of the effort. “Best race I think to date. He’s finally put it all together. We always thought he was a very talented runner from the beginning. He’s the type that the others kind of caught up to him and he needed to just mature a little bit and get stronger.”

Freedom Trail graduated on debut last September over the Big A lawn and followed with a successful stakes debut over the same course in the 1 1/16-mile Awad, and a close effort in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs to close out his campaign. This year, he finished off-the-board in his first three outings before finishing third in Delaware Park’s Kent in July.

Terranova said Freedom Trail has continued to learn and mature with each of his starts.

“He won his first couple of starts early just based on raw talent and ability,” said Terranova. “I think he needed this season to get stronger and he finally put it all together throughout the summer. When we ran in the allowance against older horses, it came back a strong and fast race. He did it really well and we’ve been looking forward to this since.”

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will have three chances to win his fourth Hill Prince with I’m Very Busy, Equitize and Faraday.