The Hirsch Turf Classic (Grade 1)- $500.00 Purse
BEL- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Half on the Turf
September 26, 2026

This Saturday at BEL, we’ll have Grade 1 action and $500.00 on the line for the 24th running of the Hirsch Turf Classic, run at the maximum distance on the turf course. That purse has ranged between $300.00 and $750.00 over time, and the present level has been in place for the last five years and eight of the last nine. Royal Randwick, Spanish Showboat, and King Que Niagra (2x) are some of the past winners, and last year it was Derby Dreams for TwinTowersRacing. That one is still active, but will not be back to defend his title. For what is at stake here, it’s surprising to see just a field of six, but the ones that are here should put on a good show. Let’s meet the field!

1- Mistborn (Mb Stables, ridden by L Saez)- The first two positions in the gate belong to Mb Stables, and while Theegala has earned much more in his career, Mistborn is running every bit as good right now. He comes into the race off a win in the DMR Handicap, which was his seventh win out of 13 career starts. While he did run in a couple ungraded stakes very early, most of his career has been in overnights, and it’s just recently when he has been getting these top chances and he is making the most of them.

2- Theegala (Mb Stables, ridden by J P Spencer)- While we do have four in the field that have surpassed $1,000.00 in earnings, no one has made more than Theegala. He’s had 37 chances to do it, but over half of his earnings come this year in his six year old season. Made a strong impression for his new trainer in the Grade 1 Manhattan, winning the race just three weeks before he was claimed for $25.00. There were a few trainers who weren’t going to let him slip past that claiming race, but the shake went to Mb. The next two races that followed showed clearly he still hasn’t lost anything, and belongs at this level.

3- Kegger (Ajm Stables, ridden by J Lezcano)- Gave his trainer plenty of reason to celebrate in his last start, with a powerful come from behind victory in the Grade 1 Clement Turf up at SAR, a result which officially earned him his spot in the BC Turf. It may be the only race he has won this year, but he has managed to hit the board in five of six starts, and has produced a triple digit SRF in each of his last four races. Anticipate him being at the back again here, as the way he ran in the Clement is what we normally see from him.

4- Gold Vault (The Sidley Stud, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- Last year, Gold Vault ran second in the Hirsch Turf Classic at AQU, and will look to do one spot better in the race’s return to BEL. The 33-race veteran has been running well all year, but has found himself on the tough end of close finishes that don’t end up in cashing a check on multiple occasions. His lone win in 2026 came on yielding turf at CD for the Grade 3 Louisville in May. He also ran third last month in the DMR Handicap, but those are the only times he has officially hit the board this year.

5- Convincing (Diablo Diablo, ridden by M J Sanchez)- The top three finishers out at DMR last month for the DMR Handicap have all come across the country to run here in the Hirsch. Convincing was the runner up in the race, with a come from behind effort in Mistborn that came up short. He was a regular in graded races two years ago, but the trainer lost confidence in him after the BEL Derby, and gradually began dropping him, something that would up all the way down to BTP. Works well, and it’s good to see this resurgency, since we don’t always see it.

6- Tom Kha Gai (High Voltage, ridden by D E Centeno)- Making his 40th career start here, and hoping it results in his ninth win. Tom Kha Gai has made over $1,200.00 in earnings, and comes into this race with two wins in his last three starts, and nearly capturing all three. The hot streak began down at LRL on PRK weekend for the Grade 3 Dinner Party, and then he would go on to SAR where he then took home the Grade 2 Bowling Green. He’d stay at the Spa, and nearly went three in a row but had to settle for second in a close photo to Kegger in the Clement Turf. The 1-2 with Kegger went the other way, in his favor, in the Bowling Green, so these two will be having a best two out of three showdown between themselves. Both are deep closers.

Prediction: 6-3-1-5

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES