Channel Maker, Sadler's Joy Return to Joe Hirsch

Experience always comes in handy, and it could play a decisive role in the $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park.

Included in a competitive field of seven for the 1 1/2-mile turf stakes Oct. 5 is last year's winner, Channel Maker, as well as the consistent 6-year-old Sadler's Joy, who was third in 2018 and fourth in 2017. 

In particular, his past efforts at Belmont Park bode well for Channel Maker, an English Channel  gelding. Since his 4 1/2-length victory in last year's Joe Hirsch, the 5-year-old has started seven times, and his only finish better than fourth came May 11 when he won the Man o' War Stakes (G1T) at, yes, Belmont Park.

"He's doing great," trainer Bill Mott said about the gelding owned by Wachtel Stable, R. A. Hill Stable, Gary Barber, and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing. "We've been knocking on the door this year and knocked one of those races down here at Belmont. Now we'll try again."

Channel Maker, who has post 7, enters his bid for back-to-back Joe Hirsch wins off a string of three fourth-place finishes. Yet he finished no worse than 2 3/4 lengths behind the winner in the trio, capped by his 2 3/4-length Sword Dancer (G1T) loss last time against Joe Hirsch rivals Sadler's Joy and Channel Cat, who were second and third, respectively.

A winner of five of 27 starts, Channel Maker has earned $2,047,108. He was bred in Ontario by Tall Oaks Farm out of the Horse Chestnut mare In Return.

Sadler's Joy's two tries in the Joe Hirsch mirrored his finish in last year's Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) as he has held own against some of the sport's best turf stars.

A year ago, the son of Kitten's Joy  was third in the Breeders' Cup Turf behind the soon-to-be-legendary two-time Qatar Prix d l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) winner Enable.

"He's always there," trainer Tom Albertrani said. "He always tries."

Some minor hiccups delayed Sadler's Joy's 6-year-old debut until July 27 in the Bowling Green Stakes (G2T), when he was blocked in the stretch while rallying from 11th and still managed to finish sixth, just 1 1/4 lengths behind the victorious Channel Cat.

"He could never get through," Albertrani said about the son of the Dynaformer mare Dynaire owned by Woodslane Farm.

In his second and most recent start of 2019, the Sword Dancer, Sadler's Joy was kept closer to the pace by jockey Jose Lezcano but came up on the short end of a stretch duel with Annals of Time and lost by a neck while finishing two lengths ahead of Channel Cat.

"It was a tough beat, and he took some bumping down the lane. I honestly thought there might be an inquiry, but he ran well and that's the main thing," Albertrani said. "At 6, he still acts like he's 4. He's still healthy and has that spark, and we'll keep going with him until he can't do it anymore. The way he's been working lately, it's as good as I've ever seen from him."

Given the 6-year-old's propensity for finding trouble while rallying from the back of the pack, Albertrani was pleased Lezcano had Sadler's Joy just four lengths off the lead after a mile in the 12-furlong Sword Dancer and is hopeful of a similar trip from post 6 Saturday.

"Jose rode him beautifully last time and got him closer to the frontrunners than usual and was (four lengths) behind instead of 12," Albertrani said. "That's a big difference. If you can keep him that close, there's less chance for him to get in trouble."

With six wins, four seconds, and six thirds from 24 starts, the homebred Sadler's Joy has earned $2,301,360.

Calumet Farm's Channel Cat took the Bowling Green at 13-1 odds for trainer Todd Pletcher and then led in midstretch in the Sword Dancer before settling for third.

Arklow is winless in five 2019 starts for trainer Brad Cox but was no worse than third in his past four starts, all in graded stakes. Owned by Donegal Racing, Joseph Bulger, and Peter Coneway, the son of Arch was second—3 1/4 lengths behind fellow Joe Hirsch starter Zulu Alpha—in the Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes (G3T) at Kentucky Downs in his most recent start. In his other 2019 starts, he was third in the Bowling Green; second—a neck behind the winner—in the Belmont Gold Cup Invitational Stakes (G2T); and second—a neck behind Channel Maker—in the Man o' War.

Don Alberto Stable, Madaket Stables, and Wonder Stables' Ya Primo was second in the Bowling Green in his United States debut for trainer Chad Brown but then set the pace and faded to ninth at 5-2 odds in the Sword Dancer.

The Joe Hirsch, with a post time of 4:50 p.m. ET, will be the ninth race on an 11-race card that features four graded stakes and starts at 12:20 p.m.

There will be television coverage of the card on Fox Sports 2 from 2:30-6 p.m. and from 4-6 p.m. on MSG Networks.

Entries: Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S. (G1T)

Belmont Park, Saturday, October 05, 2019, Race 9

• Grade IT
• 1 1/2m
• Turf
• $500,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:50 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Zulu Alpha (KY)	Channing Hill	126	Michael J. Maker	6/1
2	2Channel Cat (KY)	Luis Saez	126	Todd A. Pletcher	9/2
3	3Ya Primo (CHI)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	126	Chad C. Brown	6/1
4	4Cross Border (NY)	Manuel Franco	126	Michael J. Maker	20/1
5	5Arklow (KY)	Junior Alvarado	126	Brad H. Cox	3/1
6	6Sadler's Joy (KY)	Jose Lezcano	126	Thomas Albertrani	5/2
7	7Channel Maker (ON)	John R. Velazquez	126	William I. Mott	7/2