Flintshire Rolls Into Joe Hirsch Turf Classic

Apparently connections of potential rivals of Flintshire are sold on his talents, as only three other horses have been entered to face the multiple grade I winner in the $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (gr. IT) Oct. 1 at Belmont Park.

Dominant in New York turf races in 2016, Juddmonte Farms homebred Flintshire will try for a fourth straight graded stakes win and third grade I score this season when he faces that short field in the 1 1/2-mile test on the Widener turf.

Trained by Chad Brown, Flintshire won the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Stakes (gr. IT) June 11 on the inner turf at Belmont then took the slow-paced Bowling Green Stakes (gr. IIT) on the Saratoga Race Course inner turf. With a rabbit providing added early pace in the Longines Sword Dancer Stakes (gr. IT) Aug. 27 on the Saratoga inner turf, Flintshire delivered his usual late kick as the 6-year-old son of Dansili won that 1 1/2-mile turf race a second straight year.

BALAN: Flintshire Dominant Again in Sword Dancer

That 2015 Sword Dancer win was Flintshire's lone North American start last year. Starting with that race, he has won four straight turf events in the United States, all grade I or grade II stakes. In his 2014 U.S. debut in the Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Park, Flintshire finished second to Main Sequence.

The 1 1/2-mile Joe Hirsch Turf Classic is a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" race to the Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) Nov. 5 at Santa Anita.

The three other horses entered Saturday are stablemate Money Multiplier, who finished second to Flintshire in the Sword Dancer; Ectot, who enters off a close second in an allowance/optional claiming race Sept. 4 at Saratoga for trainer Todd Pletcher; and veteran grade I winner Twilight Eclipse, who finished third in the Sword Dancer.

Klaravich Stables' Money Multiplier has been close all season, finishing second in three grade I races. The 4-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky   finished behind Flintshire in the Sword Dancer, World Approval in the United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park, and Wake Forest in the Man o' War Stakes. 

Al Shaqab Racing's Ectot will be making his third start in the United States. Besides his close runner-up finish in the allowance/optional claiming race at Saratoga, the 5-year-old Hurricane Run horse finished fourth, just a length back, in the Lure Stakes Aug. 6 at Saratoga.

West Point Thoroughbreds Twilight Eclipse will try to improve on his third-place finish in last year's Joe Hirsch Turf Classic. The 7-year-old Purim gelding won the Man o' War last season on the Belmont inner turf. Consistent Twilight Eclipse has finished third in his past three stakes races.