The 6-year-old entire horse by Kentucky sire Arch covered the mile and one-half distance on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course in 2:26.31, which established a stakes record and just missed the course record for the distance by 12 hundredths of a second.

Joel Rosario rode the veteran for the first time for trainer Brad Cox and put in a masterful bit of horsemanship on the long-winded bay. Arklow earned a first prize of $120,000 and now sports a sparkling racing record of 31 8-7-2 and $2,666,116 in earnings. The horse races for the partnership of Donegal Racing, Joseph Bulger and the Estate of Peter Coneway. The win was the first in a stakes at Del Mar for Cox.

Finishing second in the seventh local edition of the marathon was Manfred Ostermann's Laccario, who was a half-length ahead of Agave Racing Stable and Sam-Son Farm's Say the Word. Twelve horses ran in the race.

Arklow, who was the 19-10 favorite in the contest, paid $5.80, $3.40 and $2.80 across the board. Laccario, who was the second favorite in the race at 5-2, returned $3.80 and $3.00. Say the Word, the third favorite at just under 7-1, paid $3.80 to show.

“He broke well and we got a good spot,” said Rosario. “I stepped on the brakes a little bit because I was comfortable where we were. I saved ground with him, then moved up a little bit outside. I could tell we were going slow so I felt OK being closer with him. He was running good. When we turned for home, I knew he was a fighter and I knew he's be tough to beat. He finished strong. He's a good horse.”

Acclimate set all the fractions, going :49.64 for the opening half-mile, 1:14.55 for six furlongs, 1:38.78 for the mile and  2:02.62 for 10 furlongs. One of four starters for trainer Phil D'Amato, Acclimate faded to fourth.

“It kind of worked out the way we had drawn it up,” said Blake Cox, son and assistant to the trainer. “Joel (Rosario) was able to get a real good stalking position and then finish strong. What's next will be up to Jerry Crawford and Donegal Racing, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Pegasus World Cup Turf is on the radar. ”

Earlier in the afternoon, trainer Richard Baltas rung up three winners to forge to the front in the local trainer's race. He clicked with Yeng Again ($6.00) in Race 1, Gallovie ($7.40) in Race 3 and Lady On Ice ($4.40) in Race 4. He now has 10 winners at the session after 13 days of racing, putting him one up on rival Peter Miller. Baltas was the Bing Crosby Season leading trainer in 2019 with 11 firsts. Miller has won the fall session four different times. There are two days left in the meet.

Racing resumes Saturday at 12:30 p.m. with a nine-race card.

FRACTIONS:

The time of the race is a stakes record. (Old record 2:27.35.) The course record is 2:26.19, meaning Arklow missed that mark by .12 one-hundredths.

The stakes win was the first of the meet and first in the Hollywood Turf Cup for rider Rosario. He now has 29 stakes wins at Del Mar.

The stakes win was the first at Del Mar for trainer Cox.

The winning owners are Jerry Crawford of Donegal Racing from Des Moines, Iowa, along with Joseph Bulger or the Estate of Peter Coneway.

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The marathon will go as Race 7 on the nine-race Thanksgiving Friday card. Though 14 horses have been named to run, only 12 will go due to safety considerations. The two also-eligibles will get a chance if there is a scratch in the main body of the field.

A trio of out-of-towners add special spice to the handicapping stew – Donegal Racing, Bulger and Coneway's Arklow, Manfred Ostermann's Laccario and Agave Racing Stable or Sam-Son Farm's Say the Word. They'll all be making their Del Mar debuts.

The race also has drawn its defending champion – Messineo or Sands' Oscar Dominguez, who rallied through the lane to win by a neck over turf star United in last year's running. It additionally has lured back a pair of runners who have been there before – Mr. & Mrs. Larry Williams' Ward 'n Jerry, third in the Turf Cup last year, and Little Red Feather and Tavares' Marckie's Water, fourth in the 2018 edition of the race.

Here's the lineup for the feature from the rail out with riders and morning line odds: Messino and Sands' North County Guy (Mario Gutierrez, 15-1); Oscar Dominguez (Irad Ortiz, Jr., 15-1); Little Red Feather, Jacobsen or Belmonte's Red King (Umberto Rispoli, 5-1); Say the Word (Flavien Prat, 5-1); Arklow (Joel Rosario, 5/2); Old Bones Racing Stable, Slam Dunk Racing or Nentwig's Gregorian Chant (Ricky Gonzalez, 20-1); The Ellwood Johnston Trust, Timmy Time Racing or Tevelde's Acclimate (Tyler Baze, 12-1); Laccario (Manny Franco, 3-1); Ward 'n Jerry (Jose Valdiva, Jr., 20-1); Benowitz Family Trust, Madaket Stables or Mathiesen's Proud Pedro (Juan Hernandez, 20-1); Marckie's Water (Tiago Pereira, 30-1), and Team Block's Another Mystery (Mike Smith, 10-1). The two also-eligibles are Red Baron's Barn or Rancho Temescal's Tartini (Baze on a second call, 30-1) and CYBT, Nentwig or Weiner's Fivestar Lynch (Abel Cedillo, 30-1).

If you look in the money-won column, it is “no contest” in this one with the 6-year-old Arch horse Arklow the biggest of the big dogs. The bay named for an Irish seaside town about 35 miles south of Dublin has banked $2,546,116 in his stellar career so far and shows seven wins and seven seconds from 30 starts. Twenty-four of those starts have been in stakes races, including outings in the last three runnings of the Breeders' Cup Turf. This will be the 12th different racetrack where the stretch runner has performed and the 11th time he's run a mile and one half. He's trained by Brad Cox, currently the second-leading trainer in the country with more than $17 million in purses this year.

Say the Word, a 5-year-old Canadian-bred gelding by More Than Ready, comes into the race off a smart win in the Grade I Northern Dancer Stakes at Woodbine on October 18. A winner of five races and $445,292 in purses, the stretch runner has been shifted to the barn of trainer Phil D'Amato for his West Coast debut.

Say the Word is one of four horses D'Amato has entered in the marathon. The others are Red King, winner of the Del Mar Handicap here on August 22; Gregorian Chant, a 4-year-old gelding looking for his first stakes win, and Acclimate, a 6-year-old gelding making his first start since running in the Breeders' Cup Turf in 2019 at Santa Anita.

Loccario is a German-bred 4-year-old colt who ran in his homeland up until an allowance start at Belmont Park on October 3. He was a Group I winner overseas and now takes his training from H. Graham Motion.

First post for the Friday card is 12:30 p.m.

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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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Trainer Brad Cox has indicated his multiple-stakes winner Arklow, most recently seen running sixth in the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland, might be on board for the marathon. Trainer Mike Maker is considering two of his route runners in Big Agenda and Aquaphobia. The latter was a Grade 1 winner on the grass this year.

Also possible for the seventh local edition of the stakes is the German stakes winner Laccario for trainer Andreas Wohler, as well as trainer Graham Motion's Ziyad, a European import who ran third in the G3 Sycamore Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 15 in his initial U.S. start.

The Hollywood Turf Cup will be part of a seven-stakes-all-on-the-grass bonanza that starts on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 26) and runs through the track's closing afternoon on Sunday, Nov. 29.

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Capturing the 2018 Turf Classic in similar fashion–wire to wire over soft turf–Channel Maker was out of the trifecta in his next three tries, but rebounded with a determined victory in the local GI Man O’ War S. last May. Just missing by a half-length four starts later in the 2019 renewal of this event, he was no better than fourth in six subsequent outings, but got beaten just a length at 23-1 in the GI Manhattan S. here July 4. Elevated to third via disqualification after getting steadied late in the GII Bowling Green S. Aug. 1 at the Spa, he blitzed to the lead and never looked back in a 5 3/4-length conquest of the Sword Dancer at 8-1 Aug. 29.

GIven a slight nod on the morning line at 2-1 is Rockemperor (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}). A fast-closing third in the local GI Belmont Derby in his U.S. debut last July after being brought over from France, the bay has come close but is still winless in six Stateside starts. Sixth in the Saratoga Derby in his 3-year-old finale, he was third in the GII Muniz Memorial Classic S. at Fair Grounds and GII Charlie Whittingham S. before finishing a neck short of stablemate Instilled Regard (Arch) when second in the Manhattan. He closed mildly to be third last out in the GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic S. Sept. 5 at Churchill.

A pair of horses making their respective North American debuts add spice to the lineup. Master Piece (Chi) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) took five tries to break his maiden in his native land, but reeled off four straight victories once he did, culminating with a score in the G2 Gran Clasico Coronacion. Third in the G1 El Derby Feb. 2 at Valparaiso, the gray was last seen finishing 14th in the G1 Gran Premio Latinoamericano Mar. 14 at San Isidro in Argentina.

Laccario (Ger) (Scalo {GB}) ships across the Atlantic for three-time German champion trainer Andreas Wohler. Second by a head on debut, the dark bay scored four straight successes, punctuating the streak with a triumph in the G1 IDEE Deutsches Derby last July at Hamburg. A well-beaten third in Baden-Baden’s G1 Longines Grosser Preis von Baden, he bounced back as a nose runner-up in the G3 Preis der Deutschen Einheit at Hoppegarten before checking in seventh making his 4-year-old debut over yielding turf in the G1 Preis von Europa Aug. 15 at Cologne.

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The Joe Hirsch Turf Classic honors the late horse racing columnist and founding president of the National Turf Writers Association, whose notable accomplishments include earning the Eclipse Award of Merit (1992) and the Big Sport of Turfdom Award (1993).

The 1 ½-mile mile test for older horses is one of five graded stakes events carded for Saturday's action-packed program, which also includes the Grade 2, $150,000 Pilgrim for 2-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf; the Grade 2, $150,000 Kelso for 3-year-olds and upward going a one turn mile over the main track; the Grade 2, $150,000 Gallant Bloom for fillies and mares going 6 ½ furlongs over the main track, and the Grade 1 $250,000 Belmont Derby Invitational – a classic-distance test for 3-year-olds over the inner turf.

The Joe Hirsch Turf Classic has historically been used as a prep towards the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf. Horses to have scored the Joe Hirsch-Breeders' Cup Turf double include Manila (1986), Theatrical (1987), Tikkanen (1994), Buck's Boy (1998), English Channel (2007) and Main Sequence (2014). Other prominent victors of the prominent turf event include the great John Henry (1984) and fan-favorite John's Call (2000), both of whom won the Joe Hirsch as 9-year-olds, and champions Waya (1978), All Along (1983), and Sky Classic (1992).

R.A. Hill Stable, Wachtel Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Gary Barber's Channel Maker, winner of the 2018 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, will attempt to be the first non-consecutive winner of the race since Val's Prince won in 1997 and 1999.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Channel Maker was a wire-to-wire winner of the 2018 edition and was previously sixth in 2017 and second to Arklow in last year's running. The 6-year-old veteran of 35 lifetime starts arrives at the Joe Hirsch off a frontrunning victory in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Invitational on August 29 at Saratoga, where he set an easy pace up front and responded well when urged by jockey Manny Franco, powering home in the final eighth of a mile to a 5 ¾-length triumph, garnering a 108 Beyer Speed Figure. He matched that figure when taking the 2018 Joe Hirsch.

“He seems to be doing well,” said Mott, whose other Joe Hirsch victories came with Theatrical (1987) and Shakespeare (2005). “Manny rode him very well the last couple of times and we're lucky to get him back. The race he ran last time, you can't expect that every time. But if he shows up, he's usually a factor.”

Channel Maker has been a Grade 1-winner on the NYRA circuit for the past three seasons. Four starts after his 2018 Joe Hirsch victory, he won the Grade 1 Man o' War in May 2019 over last year's Joe Hirsch winner Arklow and multiple Group 1-winner Magic Wand. He boasts the highest amount of lifetime earnings having amassed $2,494,051 in a record of 35-6-5-4.

Bred in Ontario by Tall Oaks Farm, Channel Maker is by two-time Joe Hirsch winner English Channel (2006-07) and is out of the Horse Chestnut mare In Return, making him a full-brother to two-time Canadian Grade 1-winner Johnny Bear.

Franco will pilot Channel Maker for the fourth time in a row from post 3.

Woodslane Farm's homebred Sadler's Joy also makes his fourth appearance in the Joe Hirsch but is still in search of his first victory, having finished fourth in 2017 and third in the past two editions.

Trained by Tom Albertrani, the 7-year-old son of 2004 Joe Hirsch winner Kitten's Joy will attempt to make amends after finishing a distant fourth to Channel Maker in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Invitational last out.

Sadler's Joy and Channel Maker first squared off in the 2017 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, which was won by Beach Patrol, where Sadler's Joy finished fourth as the post time favorite.

“It's a good rivalry. They've both finished ahead of each other in the past,” Albertrani said. “A lot will depend on the weather and who prefers softer ground, so hopefully the rain can hold off.”

As of Wednesday, the National Weather Service calls for a 10% chance of precipitation for the Elmont, New York area with a high of 68 degrees.

Albertrani said Sadler's Joy is trip dependent and he does not want to see his horse too far off the pace to where he will need to make up a significant amount of ground.

“His ideal trip is not getting back too far,” Albertrani said. “There's a point where you just can't have him back too far and have him lose too much ground. That's where the race is usually won or lost. In these races where he makes a late move, he usually runs the quickest last quarter. Sometimes in a smaller field it helps him, so we just have to hope that he gets the right kind of trip.”

Despite his age, Albertrani said Sadler's Joy still has what it takes to compete at a high level. This year, he was third beaten three-quarters of a length in the Grade 1 Manhattan. In his following start, he crossed the wire first in the Grade 2 Bowling Green on August 1 at Saratoga before being disqualified to fourth.

“He still has it in him. He still trains well and he's still into it,” Albertrani said. “Hopefully, we can win another big race with him.”

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano will climb aboard Sadler's Joy for the 18th time from post 1.

Gestut Ittlingen's Laccario invades from Germany for trainer Andreas Wohler, whose only previous starter in the Joe Hirsch was Sabiango, who finished fourth in 2003.

The dark bay 4-year-old son of Scalo was seventh in his only start this year in the Group 1 Preis von Europa on August 15 at Cologne, which was his only off the board finish in eight lifetime starts. Laccario was a 1 ¼-length winner of the Group 1 Deutsches Derby in July 2019 at Hamburg going the Joe Hirsch distance.

Breaking from post 6, Laccario will be ridden by Dylan Davis.

Trainer Chad Brown will saddle a pair of contenders in Rockemperor and Master Piece.

Owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Wonder Stables, Rockemperor joined Brown's stable last summer after previously being campaigned in France by Simone Brogi and has finished in the money five of his six starts in North America. The son of Holy Roman Emperor was a last out third to stablemate Digital Age in the Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic on September 5 at Churchill Downs. In his prior effort, he was second beaten a neck to stablemate Instilled Regard in the Grade 1 Manhattan on July 4 at Belmont Park, where he registered a career-best 102 Beyer.

Bred in Ireland by Haras du Mezeray, Rockemperor is out of the Muhtathir mare Motivation whose dam Jade Island is a full-sister to multiple turf Grade 1-winning millionaire Yagli. He is a direct descendant of the prolific broodmare Best in Show.

Breaking from post 4, Rockemperor will be ridden by Jose Ortiz, who seeks a third win in the prestigious stakes.

Master Piece, a Group 2-winner in his native Chile, will make his North American debut for Brown. Owned by Don Alberto Corporation, the gray or roan son of Mastercraftsman won four straight races in the latter part of 2019, including the Group 2 Gran Clasico Coronacion on December 8 at Club Hippico.

Jockey Jose Lezcano will ride Master Piece from post 2.

Rounding out the field are Three Diamonds Farm's New York-bred Cross Border [post 5, Kendrick Carmouche], winner of the Grade 2 Bowling Green on August 1 at Saratoga and Highland Sky [post 7, Junior Alvarado], who was third in the Bowling Green for trainer Barclay Tagg.

The Joe Hirsch Turf Classic is slated as Race 7 on Saturday's 10-race program, which offers a first post of 12:40 p.m. Eastern. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the 27-day fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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