Happy Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Day Take 2! 

The cancellation of last weekend’s cards and the subsequent rescheduling has produced an amazing weekday card with six graded stakes. Not bad for a Thursday afternoon in October.  

Trivia Question:  Who was the last filly to win both the Flower Bowl and the Joe Hirsch Turf? 

Race 7 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic – Grade I 

One Mile and One Half on the Widener Turf for Three Year Olds and Upward 

1. 1. El Cordobes: Charlie Appleby trainee runs here off a seven month In 2025 he won the Sword Dancer and finished third in this race and in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, all of which were triple digit Beyers (105,101, 104). William Buick does not come over to ride but Prat picks up the mount who won with him in last year’s Sword Dancer. Three of his four career wins are at a mile and a half. He should track the leaders from the pocket. Appleby wins at a 31% clip at NYRA tracks with 71% in the money finishes. He’s been off for a while but Appleby doesn’t run them into shape. The Pick.
2. 2. Far Bridge: First race back since winning the Pan American at Gulfstream in March (98 Beyer). Has been working steadily at Belmont for the Clement barn in advance of this start after being on the shelf with a minor injury. He’ll be on the rail per usual. Johnny V up as Pratt goes to El Cordobes. Might need one.
3. 3. Asbury Park: Didn’t fire in the Turf Classic on Derby Day for Chad and was off until the end of August when he went ran in an optional claimer at Saratoga where he was decent but couldn’t run down the winner (90 Beyer). Will need to move forward.
4. 4. Pride of Arras: Irish bred gelding comes back three weeks after winning the Group 3 September Stakes on the all-weather surface at Kempton in England where he tracked the leader and finished strong. That followed a solid second in the York Stakes where he led for the first mile and battled to the wire but was bested late. Should be prominent. Dangerous.
5. Minaret Station: Ran well in the Christophe Clement Turf as he pressed the pace and took over at the sixteenth pole but was inhaled by Survie who was flying late (97 Beyer). Two back in the Bowling Green he was off the pace and showed a good turn of foot late, but ran out of ground (96 Beyer). Underneath.
6. 6. Program Trading: Won both the Monmouth Stakes (94 Beyer) and the United Nations (96 Beyer) this Summer at Monmouth Park then went to the Clement Turf at the Spa where he was a solid third (97 Beyer).  Prat moves to El Cordobes – Santana takes over. Give in the ground would help his cause. Lean against.
7. 7. Fort George: Runs here off a decent third in the Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs (101 Beyer) where he rallied from the back of the pack, but was no threat to the winner. In the Bowling Green he tracked Ole Crazy Bone but couldn’t get by (97 Beyer). Regular rider Kieran Shoemark comes across the pond for the mount. Using.

Picks 1-4-7-5 

Race 8 The Flower Bowl – Grade II 

One Mile and One Quarter On the Inner Turf For Fillies and Mares 3 Year Olds and Up 

1. 1. Evershed: Comes off a win in the Waya Stakes where she sat a pocket trip and was best in the final furlong (91 Beyer). Prepped for the Waya in an optional claimer at Colonial Downs where she finished a third by a length (84 Beyer). Faces tougher today.
2. 2. Storm Miami: Possible pace Doesn’t win often, but hits the board on the regular. Was second in the Waya last out (90 Beyer). Faces tougher today. Passing.
3. Sunlit Uplands: In the Ballston Spa she was very good but couldn’t get by One More Time (95 Beyer) as she was interfered with in the stretch, but the winner stood although the stewards gave Castellano days due to his ride on One More Time. You can’t make this stuff up.  Stretches out to ten furlongs for the first time, breeding is mixed going long. Exacta finishes in eight of twelve career races. Should be up front. Working locally. The Pick.
4. 4. Gezora: She doesn’t look much like the filly who won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf last year with no shows in the New York Stakes and the Glens Falls Stakes. Passing.
5. 5. Esna: Three year old filly has won two ungraded stakes in England and takes on elders today. Her most recent start was in the Group 3 Prix de Lieurey at Deauville where she had the lead in the final furlong but was bested late. Jaime Spencer has not ridden this filly before but does come over for the mount. Exotics.
6. Fionn: Failed to fire vs. optional claimers at the Spa off a seven month layoff where she trailed the whole way. She was great as a three year old, but is a question mark now. Passing.
7. 7. Opulent Restraint: Hasn’t been the same this year in three starts after moving to Mott from Chad Brown. Turf sprint experiment went poorly last out. Beyer top in three races this year is an 81. Will need to regain last year’s form to compete. Passing. 
8. 8. Favorite Memory: Hasn’t shown much in two starts for Cherie DeVaux after coming over from Europe with a sixth in the Mint Julep and a ninth in the Glens Falls. Needs to improve.
9. Kathynmarissa: Won the Diana as she got up after a sustained drive (98 Beyer) from off the pace. Two back in the New York Stakes she was wide and couldn’t catch Portfolio Duration. No wins from four attempts at ten furlongs. Win candidate.
10. 10. Cathedral: In the Diana she was flat after being boxed in on the rail and finished fourth (91 Beyer). Two back at Ascot in the Group 2 Duke Of Cambridge she was prominent but faded. Hasn’t won a race in two years. Prat takes over as she moves to Chad’s barn. Needs a trip.
11. 11. Silvology: Shug trainee won an optional claimer two back (86 Beyer) but then didn’t fire in the Waya (84 Beyer) finishing sixth. Should be coming from well off the pace. Passing.

Picks 3-9-5-10 

Trivia Answer: Bill Mott trainee War Like Goddess won the Flower Bowl in 2021 and then beat the boys in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic in 2022 and again in 2023.