Gufo Looks to Continue Winning Roll in Joe Hirsch

There was a time earlier this year when owner and co-breeder Stephen Cainelli joked about finding a plastic surgeon for Gufo .

The comment came after the May 8 Man o' War Stakes (G1T) when Gufo's nose once again proved to be a few inches too short and he suffered his third loss by a narrow margin in either a grade 1 stakes or one worth $500,000.

Thankfully for Gufo's nostrils, the results of the last few months have solved that problem.

In his last two starts, Otter Bend Stables' Gufo has put those close-but-no-cigar finishes behind him with a pair of mile-and-a-half victories, capped by a tight win by a neck in the Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course.

"That's what the good ones do," trainer Christophe Clement said. "They develop and get better."

Gufo will try to stay on that winning roll Oct. 9 heading into the Breeders' Cup when he takes aim at a third straight win at a friendly 1 1/2-mile distance in the $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1T) at Belmont Park.

"A grade 1 stakes in New York is never easy, but he has trained well," Clement said. "We've always felt that a distance of a mile and a quarter or more is best for him."

While the 4-year-old Gufo already has a free, guaranteed spot in the $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) through his "Win and You're In" victory in the Sword Dancer, the Joe Hirsch promises to play a key role in prepping for a trip to Del Mar and keeping his Eclipse Award hopes on track. A victory in the Joe Hirsch would give him two wins and a second in grade 1 stakes, matching the 2021 accomplishments of Domestic Spending , and a winning or strong effort Nov. 6 in the Turf could put him over the top in the race to be the champion male turfer.

Bred by Cainelli and John Little, Gufo is out of the Petionville  mare Floy and is a half brother to the grade 3-winning turf sprinter Hogy  (Offlee Wild).

Judging by Gufo's past performances, the Joe Hirsch promises to be another nail-biter with six classy rivals lined up to face him, including the winners of the last three editions of the stakes and three horses with earnings of $2.3 million or more.

The $2.9 million earner Arklow , who registered his lone grade 1 win in the 2019 Joe Hirsch, figures to be a formidable rival in his 36th career start.

After opening the year with a victory in the Louisville Stakes (G3T), the 7-year-old Arklow clipped heels and stumbled when sixth in the United Nations Stakes (G1T) and was seventh when shipped to Del Mar for the Del Mar Handicap Presented by the Japan Racing Association (G2T), though he only lost by a little less than two lengths.

In his last start, the son of Arch was a hard-luck second when he was steadied in mid-stretch and then surged late to miss by a neck Sept. 11 in the 1 1/2-mile Calumet Turf Cup (G2T) at Kentucky Downs.

"He had a really rough trip. It was a winning effort and I was proud of his performance. He's rebounded really well from it," trainer Brad Cox said. "He's very consistent. We always thought with his pedigree he would be a horse who would get better with age, and I think he has. He's as good now as he's ever been and he confirmed that in the Kentucky Downs stakes. If he continues to put his best foot forward, he'll be very competitive in the Joe Hirsch."

Arklow ran in the last three editions of the Breeders' Cup Turf, with a fourth-place finish in 2018 at Churchill Downs his best showing, and Saturday's race should decide whether he pays a fourth straight visit to the World Championships.

"He's been in the Breeders' Cup the last three years and it's never really worked out," Cox said. "But if he jumped up and won the Joe Hirsch, it would be something we'd consider."

The Joe Hirsch will offer a rematch of the Sword Dancer with Japan , Cross Border , Rockemperor , and Channel Maker  also returning.

Japan, a 5-year-old son of Galileo  owned by Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier, and Masaaki Matsushima, was a close second to Gufo in the Sword Dancer while making his United States debut. Sent out by Europe's premier trainer, Aidan O'Brien, the multiple group 1 winner has captured seven of 19 starts and earned $2.3 million.

"He's going the right way," said traveling assistant T.J. Comerford. "He's training well and Aidan is very happy with him. All he has to do is run like he did the last time and that gives him a good shot."

The 7-year-old Channel Maker won the 2020 and 2018 renewals of the Joe Hirsch and was second in 2019 for trainer Bill Mott and owners Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Wachtel Stable, R. A. Hill Stable, and Gary Barber, but is winless in five starts since last year's score. He was sixth in the Sword Dancer after setting the early pace. The Ontario-bred English Channel   gelding was pushed by the speedy Tribhuvan  that day and without that rival on hand Saturday, the $3.2 million earner may get away with a slower pace and revert to his past form in the grade 1 stakes.

The field also includes a duo from trainer Chad Brown in Serve the King  and Rockemperor, who was fourth in the Sword Dancer, and the New York-bred Cross Border, a grade 2 winner who was third beaten 3 3/4 lengths in the Sword Dancer.

The Sword Dancer will be the seventh of 11 races Saturday with a post time of 3:47 p.m. ET.

Entries: Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S. (G1T)

Belmont Park, Saturday, October 09, 2021, Race 7

• Grade IT
• 1 1/2m
• Turf
• $500,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 3:47 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Serve the King (GB)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	126	Chad C. Brown	8/1
2	2Arklow (KY)	Jose Lezcano	126	Brad H. Cox	6/1
3	3Gufo (KY)	Joel Rosario	126	Christophe Clement	8/5
4	4Rockemperor (IRE)	Javier Castellano	126	Chad C. Brown	10/1
5	5Cross Border (NY)	Luis Saez	126	Michael J. Maker	8/1
6	6Channel Maker (ON)	Manuel Franco	126	William I. Mott	6/1
7	7Japan (GB)	Wayne Lordan	126	Aidan P. O'Brien	5/2