The Hirsch Turf Classic (Grade 1)- $500.000 Purse
AQU- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Half on the Inner Turf
September 28, 2024

For the last two years, King Que Niagra has celebrated a victory in the Hirsch Turf Classic and he will be back this year to try and complete the hat trick. Eight others are here to try and prevent that from happening as this Grade 1 turf race takes place for the 22nd time. The purse level has been mostly steady at the $500.000 amount, but it did have a one-off peak at $750.000, and several other editions for $600.000. It ran at BEL until 2021, and should again, but for now races like this one have been moved to the Big A. We’ll talk more about King Que Niagra later on, but when he did win this race last year, he followed it up by winning the BC Turf, a race that he did not attempt in 2022. He’s up against some tough company, so here’s a look at the entire field of nine:

1- Well Done (Team 7 Illusions, ridden by D Davis)- Made his stake debut last month in the Grade 3 Nashville Derby, but did not have a good race. It was also the first time that he had run with Lasix, and it is noted that as of right now, he is not scheduled to have that again. Perhaps a turf course only listed as “good” played a part, and maybe this is simply an inconsistent horse as previous races show he could be. We’ll see how he rebounds here, but the opposition will be tough.

2- Master Of Disguise (Mb Stables, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- This five-year-old has been productive at the graded level throughout his career, and that is certainly something that we have seen from him in 2024. He’s won three of his five starts, including the Grade 2 Man O War on this racetrack in May, as well as heading upstate to win Grade 2 Bowling Green at SAR. Now, his last start was a struggle, being beaten by five lengths in an eighth place run in the Grade 2 KD Turf Cup. That’s unusual for him, and something that I can throw out.

3- Inspector Lagrasse (Locked And Loaded, ridden by L Dettori)- Purchased by the trainer for $30.000 in the recent auction, and Locked And Loaded will be hoping the horse can do something that he has not done since March 2022: win a race. At best, his performances were hit and miss with Night Rider Stables but his last run was one of his better outings: placing second in the $135.000 Johns Call at SAR. Stepping up here will not be easy, but a change of scenery can go a long way.

4- Neds Influence (The Sidley Stud, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- Last year, Neds Influence ran fifth to King Que Niagra here in the Hirsch Turf Classic. He’d win his next one, grabbing the Grade 2 Smith here at AQU in November, which is one of his three wins since that point. But you don’t have to go back to November to find a big win, because also did that in his last race, by grabbing the Grade 2 DMR Handicap while earning a 102 SRF in the process. Ran fifth in the Bowling Green before that, which is noteworthy since the winner of that race, Master Of Disguise, is one he goes up against here. I could see him getting a piece of the purse, but probably not the top portion.

5- Ziccio (Night Rider Stables, ridden by J J Castellano)- Over 24 races, Ziccio has won nine times and earned over $1,700.000. Last year, wins in the Manhattan and the Henry Championships earned him his spot in the BC Turf but he would not have his best day that day. Ziccio may be heading back there this year, as even though he has only won once, running third in the AP Million and the KD Turf Cup over his last two starts shows that he can run with the best. Should be a good contender here.

6- King Que Niagra (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by F T Alvarado)- Now, we get to the headliner, as the two-time defending champion of the race looks to make it three in a row. He’s already the most accomplished horse in this race, since no one had won it twice. As mentioned in the opening, since we last saw him here, he went on to win the BC Turf and then followed that up by winning the Pegasus World Cup Turf. If you want something more recent than that, all that needs to be done is to look two back at the Grade 2 United Nations where he won, plus he was the runner up in the Sword Dancer. King Que Niagra is approaching $7,000.000 in earnings and continues to put out triple digit SRF’s on firm courses. Going to be tough to bring down, but he is not unstoppable.

7- Fanatical Empire (Smokey Stover, ridden by D E Centeno)- Is this the next King Que Niagra? The three year old may be heading that way, as he has already won over $2,200.000 for his career, with five wins in just nine career starts. If he can have the kind of longevity that King Que Niagra has had, there is no reason why he can’t be. Last time out, he won the Nashville Derby with an impressive come from behind effort on a good turf course. Still, his story is just getting started, and being a three-year-old will mean that he carries three fewer pounds than the older horses in here.

8- Kidding (High Voltage, ridden by F Geroux)- The majority of this six-year-old’s racing career has been in overnights, and we have seen him pass through several barns in claimers before arriving with High Voltage. It’s been a little more than a year since the trainer picked him up for just $15.000, and Kidding has won three times over nine starts. No big signature win in that yet, just the $60.000 Hasta La Vista Stakes at TUP, but after running second in the DMR Handicap, there could be much bigger in the near future, if not here.

9- On Fire (Mb Stables, ridden by J Lezcano)- Recently, On Fire has found winning to be a lot more difficult than his parents did (Tactical x Wicked Heat), as he has not won since the 2023 Grade 1 BEL Derby. Despite that, this is still a horse that has won over $1,200.000 for his career and did run fourth in the BC Turf last year. Been third in his last two starts, including the DMR Handicap last month. He figures to be in the mix, but it will need to be a career best to snap the winless streak.

Prediction: 6-7-5-2

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES