Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (Group 1)

WHILE the juveniles took centre stage in Britain and Ireland, the story of the weekend stateside was the seasoned professional horses all making the headlines again.

It was headed by Rebel’s Romance, the seven-year-old Godolphin home-bred, notching his first win in New York with a victory in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes at Aqueduct.

The globetrotting son of Dubawi had made two trips to New York without success, but there was no doubt this time in the mile and a half turf race.

With Frankie Dettori in the saddle for the first time, Rebel’s Romance sat off the early pace set by Redistricting, over a firm track.

As the five-horse field went by the stands for the first time, he moved to the lead and was never challenged afterwards as he quickened away up the straight to win by three and a half lengths.

Redistricting stayed on for second, a neck ahead of Godolphin’s other runner El Cordobes in third. Far Bridge, last year’s winner of the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, finished fourth.

Go forward

Charlie Appleby’s assistant, Alex Merriam, spoke to media afterwards.

“Charlie had said, ‘If someone wants to go forward, you go forward. If they’re not going a gallop, let him’. Obviously, they went decent enough fractions to start it and, when they tried to slow it up, Frankie said he let him stride on.

“He’s obviously a lovely, big horse, he’s got a big stride on him - there’s no point in holding him back. He just grinds it out and, as you saw turning (for home), he gallops away. He’s a proper horse.”

It brought Rebel’s Romance’s tally for the season to six, following victories in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin in Germany; the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot; the Yorkshire Cup and The Amir Trophy Stakes at Doha in Qatar.

He has now won over £11 million in prize money.

Rebel’s Romance will try to make history at Del Mar in the Breeders’ Cup Turf by becoming the first triple winner of the race.

Locked loaded

Also on the card, the four-year-old Locked got the better of Phileas Fogg to land the three-runner Grade 2 Woodward Stakes over nine furlongs for Todd Pletcher and John Velazquez.

Phileas Fogg made the running and still had an advantage halfway up the straight, but the winning son of Gun Runner ran him down and got back on the winning trail to add to his Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap success earlier in the season.

Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, which co-owns the colt, said afterwards: “It earned him a trip to California. It puts him under consideration for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He’s proven to be brilliant at a mile and a quarter.

“But he is also a major winner at a mile, too. I think the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile is a race we have to take a hard look at.”

Churchill Downs

THE 2024 Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan put up a good performance, again under the Twin Spires, to win the Grade 2 Lukas Classic. Racing on the rail in fourth initially, he met some trouble when moved out to challenge and had to come between horses at the top of the straight.

He was blocked behind a wall of horses entering the straight and Disarm got a break on him as they came into the stretch.

But switching to the inside of Disarm, Mystik Dan quickly caught and surged past him in the final half a furlong to go on and score by three-quarters of a length to gain his fourth win at the track for Kenny McPeek with jockey Francisco Arrieta replacing his regular rider, the currently injured Brian Hernandez.

McPeek said Mystik Dan would run in the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar but it was more likely to be in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile than in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Santa Anita

Goodwood Stakes (Grade 1)

THE Bob Baffert-trained Nevada Beach was the least experienced of the six horses in this Grade 1, but he came out of it with an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Full Serrano set the early pace, leading Baffert’s runners, Nevada Beach and Privman, but, on the turn into the straight, Nevada Beach joined him and gamely battled with the more experienced Full Serrano, pulling away late to score by a length and a half.

“We had some issues - nothing major. I just took my time with him. We’ve always thought he was a really good horse,” Baffert said.

Also on the card, the Irish-bred Gold Phoenix continued his good form with another graded win at the age of seven in the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship Stakes over 10 furlongs at Santa Anita.

Gold Phoenix raced last of seven as longshot Balladeer led. Gold Phoenix steadily closed the gap under Umberto Rispoli, and the son of Belardo threaded his way between traffic coming off the turn and charged through an opening at the eighth pole to go away to win by a length and a quarter from Stay Hot.

Another popular runner, Tim Yakteen’s Johannes swooped down in the stretch to capture his second consecutive Grade 2 City of Hope Mile Stakes at Santa Anita, beating Cabo Spirit by a length and a quarter.

It sets up a repeat bid for Del Mar where the son of Nyquist came close to Breeders’ Cup glory last year, finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Cavalieri remains unbeaten

On Sunday, the Bob Baffert-trained filly Cavalieri remained unbeaten in winning her third start of the year in the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes.

Cavalieri went off favourite, despite not having run since the March when she won the Grade 1 Beholder Mile.

Now unbeaten in five runs, despite hopping in the air when the gate opened, the head start she gave her four rivals didn’t halt her run.

Juan Hernandez, who has ridden the Nyquist filly in all of her races, let Cavalieri settle and she quickly moved up into third while Richi set the pace.

Baffert, who had a 1-2-3 with Cavalieri, Richi and Howin said: “She can’t break like that in the Breeders’ Cup - we’ve got to work on that.”