When the Recent York Racing Association canceled the Flower Bowl Stakes (G2T). Belmont Park Autumn meeting Saratoga Race Trackthere was a gap in the filly and mare turf department.
As it turned out, there was also a thrilling battle of the sexes at the Substantial A meet in the $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1T) on October 8 at Belmont.
With stakes for top-level fillies and mares in Recent York withering, trainer Bill Mott was faced with a number of options for his Grade 1-winning mare War like a goddess .
One sent the 5 year vintage daughter of English Channel to Canada for the EP Taylor Stakes (G1T) on Saturday honeysuckle against women, but Mott opted out and left the longer Joe Hirsch Aqueduct race track as the final Breeders' Cup preparation for George Krikorian's stretch mare.
“We considered the EP Taylor at a mile and a half and it's an A, but I like the Joe Hirsch at a mile and a half. I thought that suited her better,” Mott said.
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Competing against six males on Saturday, Joe Hirsch will be a fitting Breeders' Cup preparation for the Calumet Farm-bred mare. Mott said if all goes well, the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) 1 1/2 miles against men will be held on Nov. 5 Keeneland will be the next start for production Northern lights mare Foggy north instead of the 1 3/16 mile Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T).
“We go to the turf when we go to the Breeders' Cup,” the Hall of Fame conditioner said. “The Filly & Mare Turf is too brief for them.”
The $1.3 million earner, purchased by HND Bloodstock for $30,000 from the Hemingway Racing and Training Stables consignment at the June 2019 Ocala Breeders' Sales of Two-Year-Olds in Training and Racehorses, is close behind it in the flower bowl from September 3rd Virginia Joy a race in which she was hampered by traffic problems and a ponderous pace. It was the five-year-old's first loss in three starts since he finished with a third-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf last year.
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“She trains very well and I'm very content with her,” Mott, a four-time Joe Hirsch winner, said of the winner of eight of 11 starts, all against women.
Should War Like Goddess improve her record to 5-for-5 over 1 1/2 miles with a win on Saturday, she would join some rather exclusive company. The last woman to win the Joe Hirsch was the brilliant All Along, who prevailed in 1983, the last time the stakes were held at Aqueduct and were known as the Turf Classic. April Run, Anifa and Waya are also on the list of distaff winners.
As for the boys, coaches Christophe Clement and Chad Brown will both send two starters into Saturday's stay test.
Clement's duo consists of Otter Bend Stables' Owl a 1st class winner with 3, 4 and now 5, and 1st place Soldier stands up a 4-year-old who leaves a third-place finish behind the winning Gufo in the Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Stakes (G1T) Aug. 27 at Saratoga.
“I’m looking forward to seeing them both perform on Saturday,” Clement said.
Gufo, a son of Declaration of war followed his Sword Dancer win with a nose loss against Red Knight in the Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes (G2T). Kentucky Downs. He is 9-4-5 from 20 starts and has earnings of $2,169,030.
“Gufo had a very good race. He is very solid. Even his bad races are good races,” Clement said. “(Owner) Dr. Stephen Cainelli is a wonderful man and has been rewarded for being an athlete and keeping him in training.”
Soldier Rising, a gelded son of Frankel owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Morris Bailey, Wonder Stables and Michael Caruso, has been a gem of consistency for Clement. Since moving from Europe to the United States as a three-year-old, he has finished no worse than third in eight of nine starts.
“He’s very consistent and he should like the distance,” Clement said.
Adhamo captures the United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park
Brown, a three-time Joe Hirsch winner, declared himself the 2021 Joe Hirsch winner Rock Emperor and winner of the United Nations Stakes (G1T). Adhamo . Both horses ran on good turf in the Sword Dancer with Adhamo in eighth and Rockemperor in ninth.
Adhamo, a son of Nerd Racing for Madaket Stables, Dubb, Louis Lazzinnaro and Caruso, while Rockemperor, a Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire 6 years vintage, runs for Madaket Stables, Dubb, Wonder Stables, Michael Kisber and Caruso.
“I really like Solider Rising since the last race and Christophe was really excited about him,” said Sol Kumin, who runs Madaket Stables. “I don't think Adhamo liked the supple turf in Sword Dancer. We've been thinking about training until the Breeders' Cup, but Chad plans to run on Saturday and if he likes the ground he'll be competitive. That will depend on the ground for Rockemperor because he doesn't like supple ground.
The field also includes Alex G. Campbell Jr.s Bye Melvin (Uncle Mo ) and John MB O'Connors 2nd grade winner astronaut (Quality Street ).
Entries: Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S. (G1T)
Belmont at Substantial A, Saturday October 8, 2022, Race 8
- Note IT
- 1 1/2m
- Race
- $500,000
- From 3 years
- 4:20 p.m. (local)
