Adam Coglianese / NYRA Photo

Channel Maker runs Joe Hirsch (G1) field off their feet

by NYRA Press Office

Proving he can thrive on firm turf, too, Channel Maker kicked off the Grade 1 turf action on Saturday at Belmont Park with a wire-to-wire score in the $250,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, which gave the veteran marathoner his second win in the prestigious race run over the Widener course.

All of Channel Maker's - a known soft-turf aficionado - major stakes wins had come on such ground prior to Saturday, including a last-out, 5 ¾-length score in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga Race Course, in addition to his 2018 triumph in the Joe Hirsch and the Grade 2 Bowling Green that same year.

Still with much to prove on a firm surface despite numerous placings in big spots, notably a runner-up finish in last year's Joe Hirsch, jockey Manny Franco decided to take the initiative in this year's edition by sending his 6-year-old mount aggressively to the lead out of the gate.

Channel Maker's early gambit was on full display in the opening quarter-mile, which was posted in a blistering 22.89 seconds for the mile and a half distance over firm going.  New York-bred Cross Border followed in close pursuit, while a pair of Chad Brown-trained runners, comprised of post-time favorite Rockemperor and South American import Master Piece, took up position in the second flight. The seven-horse field was capped off by late-runners Laccario, Sadler's Joy, and Highland Sky, who were content to sit at the back of the pack.

The pace settled down  after the opening quarter, calming to a reasonable 49.44 for the half and 1:14.45 for three-quarters with Channel Maker still showing the way in front of a tracking Cross Border. Positions remained unchanged until the field hit the far turn, as the pace picked up again with a mile going in 1:38.20, and Rockemperor made the first move after the leader with turf warrior Sadler's Joy following his run on the far outside and Master Piece looming a threat on the inside.

But Channel Maker, with his head held high, opened up a decisive lead as the field turned for home and had plenty left in the tank, to staving off Laccario's late bid to prevail by 2 ¼ lengths with a final time of 2:25.99.

"I just tried to do what he likes, which is go to the front," said Franco. "That's what I've been trying to do since I started riding him, but sometimes it doesn't work out that way. When he's on the lead, he's game. He's much more comfortable and relaxed on the lead. When the other horses come to him, he just accelerates. I had horse the whole way."

The win was Channel Maker's second of the year and first on firm turf since the Grade 1 Man o' War at Belmont in May of last year. His robust bankroll eclipsed the $2.5 million mark with the winner's share of the purse of $137,500, and he returned $7.60 on a $2 win wager as the second choice in the wagering.

"You love the horse for the way he fights" said Randy Hill, who co-owns Channel Maker in partnership with Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing. "His negative side is that sometimes he fights his jockey. He wants his way and sometimes we've had different results, but Manny's ridden this horse perfectly. I was with Dean; going for home, they weren't going to get him."

A Group 1 winner in his native Germany, Laccario closed well to be second in his U.S. debut for trainer Andreas Wohler and owner Manfred Ostermann. The Joe Hirsch was just his second start of the year following a distant seventh-place finish in the Group 1 Preis von Europa at Cologne in mid-August.

"He broke well for me, tucked in and saved some ground and gave a nice run down the lane. I was very happy with how he ran," said Dylan Davis, rider of Laccario. "Speed has been holding up today so far, so he might have been against the grain. He gave me a good effort. He's a really cool horse; very nice to ride."

Honest marathoner Sadler's Joy came with his usual late run, but it tapered off in the final sixteenth of a mile and he was forced to settle for third, a half-length behind Laccario. Master Piece, Rockemperor, Cross Border and Highland Sky completed the order of finish.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Belmont with a 10-race card highlighted by a trio of graded events, including the Grade 2, $150,000 Miss Grillo at 1 1/16-miles on turf for juvenile fillies; the Grade 2, $150,000 Beldame at nine furlongs on Big Sandy for fillies and mares 3-years-old and upwards; and the Grade 3, $150,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational at six furlongs for 3-year-olds and upward. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.