Deterministic, winner of Saturday’s Grade 3 Hill Prince Stakes at Aqueduct, will not be considered for the Pegasus at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25 as he will get a break before returning at age 4, trainer Christophe Clement said Sunday.
Deterministic has been in training for most of the year without a break, having started breezing in mid-January for his 3-year-old debut, which came in the Grade 3 Gotham in March, a dirt race he won. Deterministic made his last five starts of the year on turf, winning the Virginia Derby and Hill Prince.
Clement said Deterministic could return to the races in March at Gulfstream or perhaps at Aqueduct in April with the possibility of the Ft. Marcy at Aqueduct in May being an early season target.
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“I love the Pegasus, but he’s a 3-year-old turning for 4, now’s the time to give him a break,” Clement said.
Deterministic is one of two graded stakes-caliber 3-year-olds Clement has in the barn. The other is Carson’s Run, who beat Deterministic in the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby and the Grade 3 Jockey Club Derby. Carson’s Run is being pointed to the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar on Nov. 30. On Sunday, Carson’s Run worked a half-mile in 50.89 seconds over the Belmont Park training track.
Donegal Momentum also going Hollywood
Donegal Momentum, winner of the Gio Ponti Stakes on Oct. 3, bypassed Saturday’s Hill Prince Stakes to await the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar on Nov. 30.
On Sunday, Donegal Momentum worked a half-mile in 48.85 seconds over the Belmont Park training track under jockey Javier Castellano.
“He worked fantastically this morning,” trainer Tom Morley said. “Javier back in the irons, he was thrilled with the way the horse felt, the way he worked and galloped out.”
Morley said the Grade 1 status of the Hollywood Derby and the strong likelihood of truly firm turf at Del Mar helped sway the decision of that race over the Hill Prince.
Morley said Jerry Crawford, head of Donegal Racing which owns Donegal Momentum “would rather have a go at a Grade 1, which I totally understand. There’s a minor question mark at the distance of nine furlongs, we thought he had more of a chance of getting it on genuine firm ground. I know the ground hasn’t been against us in New York, but it is November and we felt a sounder surface was more likely to be found in California.”
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