Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (Grade 1)

THERE was no luck for the British raiders at Belmont Park’s rescheduled Thursday meeting.

The Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes over a mile and a half was the highlight and Pride Of Arras went off favourite.

Rossa Ryan had Ralph Beckett’s gelding ideally placed in second as Program Trading made the running on a slow pace. But once asked for his effort coming to the final bend, Pride Of Arras found nothing and ended up coming home last of the six runners.

El Cordobes fared better for Charlie Appleby, getting a dream run through on the rails under Flavien Prat into the straight. But he was soon challenged by Far Bridge on the rail and the William Walden-trained Minaret Station on the outside under Jose Ortiz.

Minaret Station did hang in badly, squeezing El Cordobes and forcing Prat to snatch up his mount and settle for third. Though El Cordobes had been impeded, he was beaten two and three-quarter lengths in third and a stewards’ enquiry did not change the placings with Far Bridge a half-length second. The winner is bred and owned by Larry Best’s OXO Equine LLC and has the Breeders’ Cup Turf as his aim.

Charlie Appleby was reported happy with the run of El Cordobes, his first outing since February, but said he will not run the son of Frankel in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

“It was his first start off a long layoff and they didn’t go a mad gallop. I was thinking he could get tired. It was a good, solid race and he should come forward off it.”

The Grade 2 Flower Bowl Stakes for fillies and mares over 10 furlongs almost brought a great win for the Stuart Williams stable when Sunlit Uplands and Rossa Ryan still led into the final furlong.

But the Chad Brown-trained favourite Kathynmarissa found plenty in the final furlong to burst through under Jose Ortiz and get the verdict by three-quarters of a length.

The winner was adding to her Grade 1 Diana Stakes win at Saratoga. The five-year-old daughter of American Pharoah is a likely runner for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

Esna for Brian Meehan and Jamie Spencer did not have a clear run inside final furlong, but was never dangerous.

THE Eclipse Award-winning three-year-old filly of 2025, Nitrogen continued her winning ways when adding the Grade 2 Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park to her accomplishments last Friday.

Nitrogen crossed the wire two and three-quarter lengths clear of Donor Advised, who was another 13 and a half lengths clear of Boutwelltime,

Her career-best performance this season came in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes in June at Saratoga, where she romped by 12 and three-quarter lengths.

Trainer Mark Casse told media: “She’s amazing. This was what we were hoping for.

“That other filly gave her a little run and I thought it was nice.

“She does like company, and that’s what was so interesting when she won by so far (in the Ogden Phipps), I was surprised because she usually likes company.

“I think this was perfect and what we’re looking for. We’ve got five weeks now, this (the Breeders’ Cup) was our goal in the beginning, so hopefully we can get that job done.”

Santa Anita

The feature at Santa Anita last weekend was the Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes and it brought another winner this season for the Saffie Joseph stable in the four-year-old grey colt Forged Steel.

He beat his stable companion Caldera by a length and a quarter with the Bob Baffert-trained favourite Nevada Beach only third.

The winner was following up his win here in May, in a nine-and-a-half-length win in the Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes after setting all the pace. He raced in second early on this time, and took the lead on the turn by two lengths at one point and though the winning margin was a length and a half, his performance was pretty impressive.

There was an Irish-bred winner in the Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes over six and a half furlongs when Sorrento Sky a son of Prince Of Lir, bred by Miss Colleen Dwyer, took the honours for trainer Phil D’Amato.

The west coast highlight last Sunday was the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes for fillies over a mile and half a furlong at Santa Anita and victory went to the John Sadler-trained three-year-old Super Corredora, last year’s champion two-year-old filly.

The daughter of Gun Runner made all for a two and three-quarter length success.