The Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes is a Grade I American Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for three years old and older over a distance of miles on the turf track scheduled in late September or early October at . The event currently offers a purse of $500,000.

History

The inaugural running of the event was on 19 November 1977 as the Aqueduct Turf Classic Stakes and was won by Johnny D., ridden by 17-year-old Steve Cauthen by lengths in a time of 2:33. The event was scheduled two weeks after the Washington D.C. International, an event that Johnny D. won as well earning him US Champion Male Turf Horse honors for 1977. The following year the event was held at Belmont Park. In 1979, the event was classified as Grade I and was returned to the Aqueduct and was held there until 1983.

In 1983 the name of the event was shortened to being called just the Turf Classic. The event drew the top Thoroughbreds from the U.S. and Europe when it was part of a million-dollar bonus for any horse who won it plus the Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto and the Washington D.C. International at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland. That year the champion French bred filly All Along was able to win the treble, winning the million-dollar bonus and being crowned US Champion Female Turf Horse and US Horse of the Year.

Other notable champions to win the event in the pre-Breeders' Cup era include the French bred mare, winner in 1978, Waya, who was crowned the US Champion Older Female Horse the following year. The Irish bred filly April Run won the event twice in 1981 and 1982. In 1982 she also won the Washington D.C. International and was voted as US Champion Female Turf Horse. John Henry remarkably won this event in 1984 as a nine-year-old and what would be his second last start. He was crowned the US Horse of the Year that year.

Early in the Breeders' Cup era the event immediately become one of the major preparatory races for the Breeders' Cup Turf. The 1986 winner, the three-year-old Manila, and the 1987 winner, the Irish bred Theatrical, both won the Breeders' Cup Turf and were voted US Champion Male Turf Horse. In 1994 Tikkanen also won the Turf Classic-Breeders' Cup Turf double enroute to US Champion Male Turf Horse.

In 2004 the event was renamed in honor of Joe Hirsch, the award-winning racing columnist and founding president of the National Turf Writers Association. Joe Hirsch, aged 80, died on January 9, 2009.Stakes Histories, The Original Racing Almanac 2009, page 360 on June 26, 2008.

Dual winner English Channel was a Breeders' Cup Turf winner in 2007 and also the sire of Channel Maker, a dual winner (2018, 2020) and second-placed finisher in 2019 of this event.

In 2022 the event was moved to Aqueduct Racetrack due to infield tunnel and redevelopment work at Belmont Park. The 2022 & 2023 winner was English Channel's daughter War Like Goddess, with his offspring successful in the event for the fourth time.

Records Time record: 2:23.39 – Big Blue Kitten (2015)

Margins: lengths – Grand Couturier (GB) (2008)

Most wins: 2 – April Run (IRE) (1981, 1982) 2 – Val's Prince (1997, 1999) 2 – English Channel (2006, 2007) 2 – Channel Maker (2018, 2020) 2 – War Like Goddess (2022, 2023)

Most wins by an owner: 4 – Bertram & Diana M. Firestone (1981, 1982, 1987, 2010)

Most wins by a jockey: 5 – John R. Velazquez (1995, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2012)

Most wins by a trainer: 6 – William I. Mott (1987, 2005, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023)

Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade RefAt Aqueduct – Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes2026 Minaret Station4Jose L. OrtizWilliam WaldenOXO Equine miles2:28.18$500,000I2025 7Frankie DettoriCharlie ApplebyGodolphin miles2:25.72$485,000I2024 Far Bridge4Joel RosarioChristophe ClementLSU Stables miles2:32.22$485,000I2023 ƒ War Like Goddess6Junior AlvaradoWilliam I. MottGeorge Krikorian miles2:32.86$500,000I2022ƒ War Like Goddess5Jose LezcanoWilliam I. MottGeorge Krikorian miles2:27.29$500,000IAt Belmont Park2021Rockemperor (IRE)5Javier CastellanoChad C. BrownMichael Dubb, Michael E. Kisber, Wonder Stables, Bethlehem Stables & Madaket Stables miles 2:25.61$500,000I2020Channel Maker6Manuel FrancoWilliam I. MottWachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R. A. Hill Stable & Reeves Thoroughbred Racing miles2:25.99$250,000I2019Arklow5Junior AlvaradoBrad H. CoxDonegal Racing, Joseph Bulger & Peter Coneway miles2:27.34$507,500I2018Channel Maker4Jose L. OrtizWilliam I. MottWachtel Stable & Gary Barber miles2:30.73$500,000I2017Beach Patrol4Joel RosarioChad C. BrownJames Covello, Sheep Pond Partners & Head of Plains Partners miles2:26.29$500,000I2016Ectot (GB)5Jose L. OrtizTodd A. PletcherAl Shaqab Racing & Gerard Augustin-Normand miles2:28.76$475,000I2015Big Blue Kitten7Joe BravoChad C. BrownKenneth and Sarah Ramsey miles2:23.39$600,000I2014Main Sequence5Rajiv MaraghH. Graham MotionFlaxman Holdings miles2:26.32$600,000IJoe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes2013Little Mike6Mike E. SmithDale L. Romans Priscilla Vaccarezza miles2:25.00$600,000I2012Point of Entry4John R. VelazquezPhipps Stable miles2:33.73$600,000I2011Cape Blanco (IRE)4Jamie P. SpencerAidan P. O'BrienDerrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Mrs. Fitriani Hay miles2:36.61$500,000I2010Winchester5Christophe ClementBertram and Diana Firestone miles2:36.09$500,000I2009Interpatation7Robby AlbaradoRobert BarbaraElliot Mavorah miles2:41.22$600,000I20085Alan GarciaRobert RibaudoMarc Keller miles2:34.84$600,000I2007English Channel5John R. VelazquezTodd A. Pletcher James T. Scatuorchio miles2:25.73$600,000I2006§ English Channel4John R. VelazquezTodd A. PletcherJames T. Scatuorchio miles2:28.69$600,000I2005Shakespeare4Jerry D. BaileyWilliam I. MottDell Ridge Farm & William Schettine miles2:27.22$750,000I2004Kitten's Joy3John R. VelazquezDale L. RomansKenneth and Sarah Ramsey miles2:29.97$750,000ITurf Classic Invitational Stakes2003Sulamani (IRE)4Jerry D. BaileySaeed bin SuroorGodolphin Racing miles2:27.51$750,000I2002§ Denon4Edgar S. PradoRobert J. FrankelEdmund A. Gann & Flaxman Stable miles2:28.47$750,000I2001Timboroa (GB)5Edgar S. PradoRobert J. FrankelEdmund A. Gann miles2:29.43$750,000I2000John's Call9Jean-Luc SamynThomas H. VossTrillium Stable miles2:28.58$750,000I1999Val's Prince7Jorge F. ChavezH. James BondRobin Martin & Steve Weiner miles2:28.63$600,000I1998Buck's Boy5Shane SellersP. Noel Hickey Quarter B Farm miles2:33.25$500,000I1997Val's Prince5Mike E. SmithJames E. PicouRobin Martin & Steve Weiner miles2:28.92$500,000I1996Diplomatic Jet4Jorge F. ChavezJames E. PicouFred W. Hooper miles2:27.51$500,000I1995Turk Passer5John R. VelazquezFlint S. SchulhoferMichael Shanley miles2:36.63$500,000I1994Tikkanen3Cash AsmussenJonathan E. PeaseAugustin Stable miles2:25.88$500,000I1993Apple Tree (FR)4Mike E. SmithAndré FabreMohammed Al Kabeer miles2:28.31$500,000I1992Sky Classic5Pat DayJames E. DaySam-Son Farm miles2:24.50$500,000I1991Solar Splendor4Herb McCauleyPatrick J. KellyLive Oak Plantation miles2:27.89$500,000IAt Belmont Park – Turf Classic1990Cacoethes4Ray CochraneGuy HarwoodLady Jane Harrison miles2:25.00$600,000I1989Yankee Affair7Jose A. SantosHenry L. CarrollJujugen Stable miles2:27.20$654,200I1988Sunshine Forever3Angel Cordero Jr.John M. VeitchDarby Dan Farm miles2:33.80$600,000I 1987Theatrical (IRE)5Pat DayWilliam I. MottBertram R. Firestone miles2:29.20$600,000I 1986Manila3Jose A. SantosLeRoy JolleyBradley M. Shannon miles2:27.80$705,250I 1985Noble Fighter3Alain LequeuxMitri Saliba Buckram Oak Farm miles2:25.40$718,500I 1984John Henry9Chris McCarronRon McAnallyDotsam Stable miles2:25.20$626,250IAt Aqueduct 1983ƒ All Along (FR)4Patrick L. BianconeDaniel Wildenstein miles2:34.00$585,700I1982ƒ April Run (IRE)4Cash AsmussenFrançois BoutinDiana M. Firestone miles2:29.80$476,800I1981ƒ April Run (IRE)3Philippe PaquetFrançois BoutinDiana M. Firestone miles2:31.20$300,000I 1980ƒ Anifa4Alfred GibertMitri Saliba Buckram Oak Farm miles2:39.60$300,000I 1979Bowl Game5Jorge VelasquezJohn M. Gaver Jr.Greentree Stable miles2:28.20$250,000IAt Belmont1978ƒ Waya (FR)4Angel Cordero Jr.Angel Penna Sr.Daniel Wildenstein miles2:26.80$200,000 At Aqueduct1977Johnny D.3Steve CauthenMichael KayDana S. Bray Jr. miles2:33.20$200,000

Legend:

Notes:

§ Ran as an entry

ƒ Filly or Mare

See also List of American and Canadian Graded races Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Handicap top three finishers and starters

References