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ELMONT, N.Y. — Spark Candle, who was briefly being considered for the Belmont Stakes, was entered and will run in Friday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Hill Prince Stakes at a mile on turf, racing manager Nobutaka Tada said.
Spark Candle, a son of A.P. Indy out of the champion mare Serena’s Song, has started six times and won once, on the turf last October in Japan. He pressed the pace and finished sixth on dirt here May 10 in the Grade 2 Peter Pan, a race won by his stablemate Casino Drive.
“We were thinking Belmont or allowance - we finally made the decision to run in Hill Prince,” Tada said.
The Hill Prince came up a solid race with the likes of Prussian, Gio Ponti, and Hatta Fort in the field. Prussian won his first two starts on turf last year before finishing 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf over a yielding course. Because of the soft turf, trainer Bill Mott scratched Prussian from stakes on Derby Day and Preakness Day. He was beaten a nose by El Sultry Sun in the Lamplighter at Monmouth on May 25.
Gio Ponti won the Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland last year and has not run since finishing eighth, beaten four lengths, in the BC Juvenile Turf, where he had a traffic-filled trip.
Hatta Fort, a Group 2 winner in Great Britain, was beaten a nose by Keep Laughing in the Lafayette on Keeneland’s Polytrack in April. Also entered are Titan of Industry, Moral Compass, Writingonthewall, and Dynhocracy.
Big Truck skipping Hill Prince
One horse not entered in the Hill Prince was Big Truck, who finished 18th in the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Barclay Tagg and his assistant, Robin Smullen, believe the New York-bred Big Truck needs more time to recover from the Derby and likely won’t race until Saratoga.

sports.espn.go.com

(Following Advance for Use Friday, June 6th)
Today in History
Today is Friday, June 6th, the 158th day of 2008. There are 208 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History: On June 6th, 1944, the “D-Day” invasion of Europe took place during World War II as Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France.
On this date: In 1799, American politician and orator Patrick Henry died at Red Hill Plantation, Virginia.
In 1844, the Young Men’s Christian Association was founded in London.
In 1918, American Marines suffered heavy casualties as they launched their eventually successful counteroffensive against German troops in the World War I Battle of Belleau Wood in France.
In 1925, Walter Percy Chrysler founded the Chrysler Corporation.
In 1933, the first drive-in movie theater was opened by Richard Hollingshead in Camden County, New Jersey. (The movie shown was “Wives Beware,” an Adolphe Menjou comedy previously released under the title “Two White Arms.”) In 1934, the Securities and Exchange Commission was established.
In 1966, black activist James Meredith was shot and wounded as he walked along a Mississippi highway to encourage black voter registration.
In 1968, Senator Robert F. Kennedy died at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, a day after he was shot by Sirhan Bishara Sirhan.
In 1978, California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 13, a primary ballot initiative calling for major cuts in property taxes.
In 1982, Israeli forces invaded Lebanon to drive Palestine Liberation Organization fighters out of the country. (The Israelis withdrew in June 1985.)
Ten years ago: The U.N. Security Council demanded in a unanimous vote that India and Pakistan refrain from further nuclear tests and sign nuclear control agreements. Real Quiet was denied horse racing’s Triple Crown as Victory Gallop won the Belmont Stakes by a nose.

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