Joe Hirsch Turf Classic | Horse Racing Free Tips

Mean Mary May Target Waya, Joe Hirsch At Belmont In October

Alex Campbell, Jr.'s Mean Mary is 2-for-2 competing in graded stakes races at Belmont Park and could look to extend that streak in the fall, with trainer Graham Motion saying the 5-year-old Scat Daddy mare is a possibility to return to the Elmont-based track.

After running second to winner Santa Barbara in the Grade 1 Beverly D. on August 14 at Arlington Park, Motion said Mean Mary is a possibility to compete in the $300,000 Grade 3 Fasig-Tipton Waya for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at 1 3/8 miles on the turf on October 3. But Motion also left open the possibility that she could face males in the $500,000 Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic held at 1 1/2 miles on October 9.

“She's good. I do plan to point her to the races at Belmont in October,” Motion said. “I would say both options are on the table.”

Mean Mary overcame challenging circumstances to finish as the Beverly D. runner-up, breaking through the gate and needing to be re-loaded. She still served as the pacesetter and finished strong enough to outkick Lemista by a neck.

“I definitely think it had an effect on her and her style. I thought she was courageous to run on and be second,” Motion said. “It's just disappointing because she didn't run her 'A' race.”

A closer effort to that A-grade race was her gate-to-wire triumph in the Grade 2 New York on the eve of Belmont Stakes Day June 4, when she held off next-out winner Thundering Nights by a nose to win the 1 1/4-mile contest and earn triple-digit speed figures for the third time in her career, garnering a 101 Beyer.

The win helped Mean Mary repeat in the prestigious stake, as she cruised to a 5 1/2-length score in the 2020 edition of the New York in her Belmont debut.

She followed with a thrilling second to Rushing Fall in the 2020 Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga, finishing a neck short in the elusive quest to give Motion his first win in the stakes, but still earned a personal-best 102 Beyer.

Starting her current campaign after ending 2020 with a seventh in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in November at Keeneland, Mean Mary won the Grade 3 Gallorette in May at Pimlico in returning from a five-month freshening before going on to the New York and Beverly D.

While Mean Mary could be running in a stakes at a NYRA track, stablemates Ziyad and Invincible Gal will be skipping potential starts at Saratoga this upcoming week.

Wertheimer and Frere's Ziyad, who was targeting the $120,000 John's Call on Wednesday, will skip that start in favor of additional rest. His previous start was a sixth-place effort in the Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup on June 4.

“Unfortunately, I can't make that race with him, which is disappointing,” Motion said. “I haven't been happy with him the last week or so; I didn't feel good about doing it. He also got sick, which was part of the problem. He needs more time.”

The British-bred Ziyad, who arrived from Europe last fall and transferred into Motion's care, capped his 2020 with consecutive third-place finishes in the Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland and the Grade 3 Red Smith at Aqueduct, respectively. The now 6-year-old Rock of Gibraltar gelding made his seasonal bow in a sixth-place Grade 1 Man o' War finish in May at Belmont before the Belmont Gold Cup.

Invincible Gal, who was possible for the $120,000 Riskaverse on Thursday at Saratoga, will likely target another race closer to where she is training at Motion's base in Fair Hill, Maryland, her conditioner said.

“She probably won't go there,” Motion said. “She's doing fine, but I just think there are probably other spots for her without going back up there.”

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Grade 1 Woodward Returns To Belmont Park’s Fall Stakes Schedule

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the stakes schedule for the 28-day fall meet at Belmont Park, which will include 20 graded stakes among 47 total stakes worth $11.15 million in purses.

The fall meet, which will run from Thursday, September 16 through Sunday, October 31 will offer four Grade 1 races and five “Win and You're In” qualifiers to the Breeders' Cup in November at Del Mar.

The highlight of the meet will be the return of the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes on Oct. 2. The Woodward has been run at Saratoga since 2006, but had previously been held at Belmont Park and makes it's return to the Elmont track this year.

The first two stakes will come during the meet's second day, with a pair of $100,000 six-furlong turf sprints on Friday, September 17, with the Allied Forces for sophomores and the Christiecat for 3-year-old fillies. The following day will feature the first Breeders' Cup qualifier on the docket with the $1 million Jockey Club Derby for 3-year-olds going 1 1/2 miles on the turf in the final leg of NYRA's Turf Triple series that will commence with the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby in July and continue with the Grade 1, $1 million Saratoga Derby in August at historic Saratoga Race Course.

September 18 will also see the $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks, the concluding leg of the Turf Triple for 3-year-old fillies, held at 1 3/8 miles, with the card bolstered by the 1 5/8-mile $300,000 Grand Prix American Jockey Club Invitational.

The weekend of September 25-26 will encompass the meet's first graded stakes races, with that Saturday offering the Grade 2, $300,000 Kelso Handicap for 3-year-olds and up going one mile on the main track and the Grade 3, $200,000 Athenia for fillies and mares 3-years-old competing at 1 1/8 miles on the turf. The following day will see fillies and mares 3-and-up sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs in the Grade 2, $250,000 Gallant Bloom, with the undercard rounded out by the $150,000 Bertram F. Bongard for New York-bred juveniles going seven furlongs.

Seven graded stakes will comprise the weekend of October 2-3, with a pair of Grade 1s highlighting the Saturday card with the $500,000 Woodward for 3-year-olds and up going a one-turn 1 1/8 miles on Big Sandy and the $500,000 Champagne for 2-year-olds running one mile in a prestigious race affording a spot in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile to the winner. The Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo will see juvenile fillies running 1 1/16 miles on turf that day, along with the Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs on the grass.

Sunday, October 3 will continue the high-level action, with the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette for 2-year-old fillies at one mile with a spot in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies up for grabs. The day will also include the Grade 2, $200,000 Pilgrim for juveniles going 1 1/16 miles on the turf and the Grade 3, $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya at 1 3/8 miles in a turf route for fillies and mares 3-and-up.

The following weekend will again provide a chance to see top-caliber racing, with Saturday, October 9 showcasing the Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic for 3-year-olds and up in a marathon 1 1/2-mile turf competition, with the Grade 2, $250,000 Vosburgh, a six-furlong “Win and You're In” event for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint, bolstering the undercard along with the Grade 3, $150,000 Matron for juvenile fillies.

October 10 will offer the fall meet's final Breeders' Cup qualifier with the Grade 3, $150,000 Futurity for 2-year-olds going six furlongs on the turf providing a spot in the Grade 1, $2 million Juvenile Turf Sprint. Also on tap that day will be the Grade 2, $250,000 Beldame at nine furlongs for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up; and the Grade 3, $150,000 Knickerbocker for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles on the turf.

Closing weekend on October 30-31 will see a packed Saturday that will offer eight stakes for New York-breds on Empire Showcase Day, led by the $300,000 Empire Classic for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles. A trio of $250,000 stakes includes the Empire Distaff, Sleepy Hollow and Maid of the Mist. Also on tap will be two $200,000 contests in the Mohawk and Ticonderoga, along with a pair of $150,000 stakes in the Iroquois and Hudson.

Closing Day on Sunday, October 31 will conclude the meet with five stakes: the $150,000 Zagora for fillies and mares 3-and-up; the Pumpkin Pie for the same division going seven furlongs; the $100,000 Awad for juveniles at 1 1/16 miles on the turf and the $100,000 Chelsey Flower for 2-year-old fillies going the same distance.

Three stakes have been added to the fall schedule, starting with the $100,000 Glen Cove for sophomores fillies sprinting seven furlongs on the turf on October 15. The $100,000 Carle Place, for 3-year-olds also going seven furlongs on the turf, will be held October 22, while the $100,000 Oyster Bay for 3-year-olds and up going seven furlongs on the turf will be run on October 29.

For the complete Belmont Park fall meet stakes schedule, please visit NYRA.com/stakes

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‘I Never Imagined Getting A Champion’: Hill Reflects On Channel Maker’s Eclipse Season

Randy Hill's perseverance over two decades of owning thoroughbreds was rewarded this week when his multiple Grade 1-winner Channel Maker was crowned 2020 Champion Turf Male at Thursday's Eclipse Awards.

Owned by Hill's R.A. Hill Stable in partnership with Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Gary Barber and Wachtel Stable, Channel Maker posted two gate-to-wire Grade 1 victories on the NYRA circuit in 2020 with triumphs in the Sword Dancer Invitational at Saratoga and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont Park, the latter of which he also won in 2018.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the Ontario-bred son of 2007 Champion Turf Male English Channel capped off his Eclipse Award-winning season with a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland, where he replicated his career-best 108 Beyer Speed Figure earned in his previous two races.

“When I first got in the game, I just wanted to win a Grade 1 or two, but I never imagined getting a champion,” Hill said.

The racing bug bit Hill at a young age when attending the races at Monmouth Park with his mother. But it wasn't until 2000 that the mutual fund owner and financial services executive ventured into buying racehorses. Among the first horses he purchased was a Broad Brush colt by the name of Maybry's Boy, with the hope of eventually having a horse good enough to run at Saratoga.

“I named him after my mother. Her name was Maybry and I was her boy,” Hill said.

Maybry's Boy went on to win the Grade 3 Spectacular Bid in 2002 at Gulfstream Park in the first start of his 3-year-old campaign, and it didn't take long for Hill to get hooked.

“Maybry's Boy was the favorite in the Kentucky Derby futures book after the Spectacular Bid. I thought, 'Oh this game isn't that hard,'” Hill recalled with a laugh.

Although Maybry's Boy never did see graded stakes success after the Spectacular Bid, Hill stayed in the ownership game enjoying success with graded stakes winner Devil's Preacher and dual stakes winner and graded stakes placed turf sprinter Fiddlers Patriot, who gave Hill his first stakes winner on the NYRA circuit when taking the 2012 Willard Straight at Saratoga.

Even then, Hill said owning a multiple Grade 1-winning champion seemed far-fetched.

“I had about a year and a half where I had maybe one winner and I kept on getting all these bills,” Hill recalled.

The past few years have certainly been more prosperous for Hill, who began partnering with several other owners in campaigning top-class horses. In addition to Channel Maker, he owned last year's Grade 1 Runhappy Carter and Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile winner Vekoma in partnership with Mike Gatsas' Gatsas Stables.

The son of Candy Ride was a finalist for Champion Sprinter, which was won by Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Whitmore. Vekoma is currently standing his first year at stud at B. Wayne Hughes' Spendthrift Farm.

Hill is also a part owner of multiple graded stakes winner Tax and New York-bred stakes winner Funny Guy.

“This year, to get an Eclipse champion, and a horse like Vekoma to become a stallion prospect and win multiple Grade 1 races has just been incredible,” Hill said.

Hill credits jockey Manny Franco for helping Channel Maker improve last season. Following his pair of front-running Grade 1 wins, Channel Maker was again forwardly placed in the Breeders Cup Turf and held a 2 1/2-length lead at the stretch call only giving way in the shadow of the wire when a length back of the victorious Tarnawa and edged a nose for second by Magical.

“Manny really fit him like a glove and turned him around by putting him on the front end,” Hill said. “Also, English Channel horses get better with age. That said, I was expecting him to get better. I always believed that he would get better. I really thought in the Breeders Cup that we were home. He got beat for second by a whisker against two of the best turf horses in the world.”

Hill said he is hoping Channel Maker can pick up where he left off in his 2021 bow, which could take place in either the $2.5 million Long Distance Turf Handicap or the $1 million Middle Distance Turf Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Saudi Arabia on February 20. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will pilot Channel Maker in his first venture outside of North America.

“That's no step down,” Hill said of Velazquez taking the irons. “He's one of the smartest riders I've been around, and no one studies the form like him. I have all the confidence in the world in Johnny. We have a Hall of Fame jockey and a Hall of Fame trainer going to Saudi running for millions.”

Hill said he was over the moon to hear the news of Channel Maker's Eclipse Award and celebrated exactly how one expects an avid wine collector would.

“I couldn't imagine Channel Maker wouldn't get it,” Hill said. “But we were thrilled. When I found out he won, I opened a big bottle of Chambertin.”

The thrill of victory is something that Hill relishes and he said it's even more special to experience such euphoria alongside partners that he calls friends.

“I'm not a huge owner so that many Grade 1 wins is a lot,” Hill said. “I've been having fun again and I love the game. I love being in it and I love the people around it. I'm very fortunate to have good partners in Dean Reeves, Mike Gatsas and of course Gary Barber and Adam Wachtel. We've all gotten a long very well.”

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Motion Looking Ahead To 2021 With Mean Mary; Sending German Group 1 Winner Laccario West To Del Mar

Trainer Graham Motion said he is already thinking well into 2021 with multiple graded stakes-winner Mean Mary with a title defense in the Grade 2 New York at Belmont Park an option for the well-bred daughter of Scat Daddy.

Owned and bred by Alex Campbell, Jr., Mean Mary was a gate-to-wire winner of the classic-distance turf event, which she won by 5 ¼ lengths under jockey Luis Saez. She was a last out seventh in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf on Nov. 7 at Keeneland, where she was in contention early on and maintained a favorable position in mid-stretch before fading.

Motion also saddled Invincible Gal and Alda in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, who finished a respective 11th and 12th.

“They all came back well,” Motion said of his Breeders' Cup contingent. “I was hoping for a better run from Mean Mary, but it's the Breeders' Cup and these races are obviously very tough.”

Out of the Grade 1-winning Dynaformer mare Karlovy Vary, Mean Mary posted her fourth straight victory in the New York which she followed with a game runner-up finish to Rushing Fall in the Grade 1 Diana on Aug. 23 at Saratoga. Prior to the New York, she won the Grade 2 La Prevoyante going 1 ½ miles and Grade 3 Orchid going 1 3/8 miles, both at Gulfstream Park, displaying a similar frontrunning fashion.

Motion also spoke of Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic runner-up Laccario, who joined Motion's barn after making his North American debut in the 1 ½-mile event at Belmont Park and said the German Group 1 winner will ship to California for the Grade 2, $200,000 Hollywood Turf Cup on Nov. 27 at Del Mar.

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