2026 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Preview

Key Takeaways:

• The Joe Hirsch Turf Classic returns to Belmont Park with a seven-horse field of graded-stakes-caliber runners, including 2024 winner Far Bridge and morning-line favorite El Cordobes.
• Rain could play a major role in the 1 ½-mile turf race, giving an advantage to runners with proven form over yielding or rain-affected ground and raising questions for several top contenders.
• Far Bridge is the top pick at 5-1, with his versatility, proven 1 ½-mile form, wet-turf ability, and strong record off layoffs making him an appealing comeback candidate.
• Program Trading is the second pick at 5-1 after successfully stretching out this year, with recent form over yielding ground and an outside post giving him options in the short field.
• Minaret Station rounds out the picks at 7-2 after a strong runner-up finish in the Christophe Clement Turf, with tactical versatility and proven form over yielding turf making him well suited to the conditions.

After three years of construction, Belmont Park is open again. On Saturday, September 26, the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic makes its triumphant return to its home track. The Grade 1, $500,000 race perennially draws a field of top-class horses to go 1 ½ miles on the grass, and this year is no different. A group of seven, all with legitimate graded-stakes credentials, line up for the starter.

The favorite on the morning line is El Cordobes, who finished third last year but has been on the shelf since February of this year. The return won’t be easy: 2024 Joe Hirsch winner Far Bridge comes back for more, Minaret Station tries to build on a close runner-up finish in the Christophe Clement Turf (G1), and multiple Group 2 winner Pride of Arras makes his first visit stateside.

Though the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic is not a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Turf, the race is still a quality prep, and several winners have still swept the pair in the same year. That most recently happened in 2014 with Main Sequence. Other horses to win the pair include English Channel (2007), Buck’s Boy (1998), Tikkanen (1994), Theatrical (1987), and Manila (1986).

Two others have won this race in a different year than a Breeders’ Cup Turf win. Little Mike, though he finished only fifth in this race before winning the Breeders’ Cup in 2012, went on to win the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes the next year. Rebel’s Romance, already a two-time Breeders’ Cup Turf winner, won the 2025 Joe Hirsch en route to a runner-up finish in the Breeders’ Cup Turf behind Ethical Diamond.

Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes Information

• Race Date: Saturday, September 26
• Track: Belmont Park in Elmont, New York
• Post Time: 5:19 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
• Distance: 1 ½ miles on the turf
• Age/Sex: three-year-olds and up
• Where to Watch: FanDuel Racing, Fox Sports 2
• Where to Bet: FanDuel Racing

2026 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Draw and Odds

This is the field of seven entered for the 2026 Joe Hirsch, along with their post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds

Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Prep Race Results

Six of the seven runners come out of graded-stakes or group-level races in their last start. The only race with more than one last-out runner is, fittingly, the Christophe Clement Turf (G1) on August 15 at Saratoga Race Course. Though winner Survie is likely training straight up to the Breeders’ Cup, runner-up Minaret Station and third-place Program Trading are taking another shot at top-level glory in this spot.

Two horses won stakes races last out. Far Bridge won the Pan American (G3) in his last start March 26; he was laid off with a suspensory issue after that, according to a report from Daily Racing Form, but has been working regularly since early August and returns in this spot. Pride of Arras won the September (G3) at Kempton on September 5 and comes back rather quickly.

The globetrotting Fort George most recently chased on for third behind Tiffany in the Kentucky Downs Turf Cup (G2) on September 5. Speaking of globetrotters, El Cordobes makes his first start since finishing fifth in the H. H. the Amir Trophy (G2) in Qatar in February.

The only horse coming out of a non-stakes engagement is Asbury Park, who rallied for second in a second-level allowance August 22 at Saratoga.

Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Contenders

These are the seven entrants in the 2026 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic:

1. Minaret Station: In a smaller field without a ton of early pace, Minaret Station’s ability to be toward the front will serve him well. What will also serve him well is the fact that he ran so well over yielding turf last out: the weather through Friday night and Saturday is expected to be rainy, meaning there will likely be some cut in the ground. He keeps high-percentage rider Jose Ortiz, and should be able to handle the ground and work out a good trip despite the inside gate.
2. Pride of Arras: Overseas Group 2 or Group 3 horses tend to slide in very well in Grade 1 races in the United States, meaning Pride of Arras has class appeal. Both of his Group 2 wins have come going 1 ½ miles as well – once on the all-weather, last out, and once at the “about” distance in the Great Voltigeur (G2) last year at York. The big question for him, however, is going to be the condition of the ground. He has only ever run over good turf or all-weather, meaning he is completely untested over softer going. With the rain in the forecast, it means he may not be able to find that same form – so don’t take too short a price.
3. El Cordobes: He is well proven over 1 ½ miles. He is well proven when shipping to the United States, and showed in the Sword Dancer (G1) and the Joe Hirsch last year that he can even carve out a tactical trip against American speed at this distance. The question is the fact that he has been laid off since February. As a positive, he gets Flavien Prat, one of the country’s premier big-race riders, to get in the saddle. But, with horses racing in North America off long layoffs, Appleby regularly gets bet and he more often tends to run in the money and not win, suggesting this likely favorite is also a likely underlay. The ground is also a question, as all his classiest form has come over firm going.
4. Far Bridge: He looked primed for a big season after winning the Pan American fresh off the bench in March. However, he had to take some time off after reportedly coming out with a suspensory issue. He has been working regularly for over a month and a half, though, and has proven time and time again that he can come back sharply off a layoff. With tactical speed, excellent mile-and-a-half form, and good form over wet ground, he looms as a strong candidate to return to his best form.
5. Asbury Park: He won the Jockey Club Derby (G2) against sophomores last year, but still needs to prove he can hang with stakes horses as an older horse. He was a troubled ninth in the Turf Classic (G1) on Kentucky Derby day, his first start of the season, but his only start since then was a half-length second in a second-level allowance. Chad Brown can pull a rabbit out of a hat in a big race every so often, but his one needs to take a big step forward in his first 1 ½-mile start, and may not get the pace he needs to set up for his late-running style.
6. Fort George: He has yet to break through at the top level, but has run a lot of good races in graded and group company this year in both Dubai and the United States. He was no match for Ombudsman in the Dubai Turf (G1), but that was a 1 ⅛-mile race – now he gets a tilt at a Grade 1 going a better distance for him. He still has to prove he can win going this long, but he ran a good second at the distance in a Group 2 in Dubai and was third at Kentucky Downs last month, a race that should have given him some more fitness. But, the weather is a big question – with wet weather in the forecast, it’s a concern that he is unproven over rain-affected ground.
7. Program Trading: The better-regarded of the Chad Brown pair, Program Trading had a little bit of trouble last out in the Christophe Clement Turf but overall ran well – a particularly relevant effort since he’ll probably catch rain-affected ground this time, too. Previously a miler, he is tactical enough going these longer distances to track closer to the pace or make a rally from off the pace, and he should enjoy a clean run of things from this outside gate in a relatively small field.

Joe Hirsch Turf Classic: 3 Best Bets

These are the three best bets in the 2026 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic:

1. Far Bridge (5-1)

Far Bridge is back, and even though a Grade 1 off of a six-month layoff isn’t an easy task, it’s one he should be up to. He won this race when it was contested at Aqueduct Racetrack two years ago. He started this season with a smart effort over the 1 ½-mile distance, and unlike several of the major runners in this race, he has solid form over rain-affected going. The last bit matters, since the forecast calls for rain from Friday night into Saturday. He won the Bowling Green (G2) last year over yielding ground and has plenty of good efforts on good ground, too.

His running style also suits the relatively short field. He can go gate-to-wire, or he can win from a stalking or even midpack race shape. That gives him both the versatility and the tactical positioning to be in contention and not leave himself too much to do. He has fired sharply off of long layoffs before, and has found a good spot to do so once more.

2. Program Trading (5-1)

The first-stringer of the Chad Brown pair, Program Trading has been reinvented this year from a miler to a longer-distance runner. The experiment has gone well in his last two starts: he won the United Nations (G2) on a rainy day at Monmouth, and then finished third in the Christophe Clement Turf (G1) last out at Saratoga, doing so over yielding ground.

Though he has won from a closing race shape, he has also run well from a more tactically placed shape, something that matters given the short field in this race. The post draw also helps him here; he drew the outside in the field of seven, giving jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. options for finding a spot, giving him a cleaner trip than he had in the Clement last out, and showing out at the top level in this new phase of his career.

3. Minaret Station (7-2)

He drew the rail, but that’s a bit less of a traffic worry in a field of seven than a field of more, especially when he has such tactical versatility. He pressed the pace in his last race, but has been able to win from a stalking spot and even with a midpack or closing trip, meaning jockey Jose Ortiz – who has ridden him in his last two starts – has plenty of options depending on how the race unfolds in front of him.

One of the newer faces at the top level, he came close behind Survie – a horse who already had European Group-level form – in the Christophe Clement Turf (G1), a race where he handled yielding turf for the first time ever with aplomb. With rain likely this time around, as well, Minaret Station is one of the horses who can handle the ground. And, he’s trained by Will Walden, a younger trainer who has shown he can hang in graded-stakes company, but still also flies under the radar behind other better-known names, meaning he still has a good chance to be overlaid.

Joe Hirsch Turf Classic FAQ

Q: When and where is the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic?

A: The Joe Hirsch Turf Classic will be run on Saturday, September 26, at 5:19 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The race is the 10th of 11 on the card at Belmont Park, where the race returns after a three-year rebuilding project at the track.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic?

A: Bill Mott leads all trainers with six wins in this race. He has won with Theatrical (1987), Shakespeare (2005), Channel Maker (2018, 2020), and War Like Goddess (2022, 2023). Mott has no horse in the field this year. Among the trainers who do, Chad Brown leads with three winners, most recently with Rockemperor in 2021. He can win a fourth with either Program Trading or Asbury Park.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic?

A: El Cordobes, third behind his then-stablemate Rebel’s Romance in the Joe Hirsch last year, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite. Charlie Appleby shippers are always tough, though watch how bettors respond since El Cordobes hasn’t run since a fifth-place finish in the H. H. The Amir Trophy (G2) at Doha in February. Watch for action on Minaret Station (7-2), who just missed in the Christophe Clement Turf (G1) last month at Saratoga, as well as Pride of Arras (4-1), who comes in off a Group 3 score at Kempton earlier this month.

Q: Who is the best Joe Hirsch Turf Classic jockey?

A: John Velazquez leads all jockeys with five victories between 1995 and 2012. He can add to that record with Far Bridge this year.

Q: Who won the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic in 2025?

A: Rebel’s Romance won the 2025 Joe Hirsch; he does not return to the race and has since been retired. His jockey, Frankie Dettori, has also since retired. However, his trainer Charlie Appleby returns with El Cordobes, who will be ridden by Flavien Prat. 2024 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic winner Far Bridge is also in the field this year; he is currently trained by Miguel Clement and will be ridden by John Velazquez.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.