JOE HIRSCH TURF

CLASSIC STAKES

(GRADE 1)

RIDING a six-race losing streak (albeit, one by a combined six lengths), Beach Patrol needed something to change before the Grade 1 Arlington Million in August. Chad Brown tabbed Joel Rosario for the job and the duo won the Million by a half-length.

Well, the jolt is still jolting, as Beach Patrol and Rosario added another Grade 1 score, taking the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont Park’s meeting.

Brown certainly recognises the difference: “The horse is really developing nicely. He’s always been a class horse, he was a Grade 1 winner at age three, he’s very consistent.”

“Joel has really clicked with this horse. They’re developing great chemistry together. He’s done a fantastic job of riding this horse and the horse has really responded. He’s only four, he’s getting better.”

Rosario rides Beach Patrol in the mornings as well and guided the son of Lemon Drop Kid’s through his final works before the Hirsch, ripping five furlongs in 1:00.20 secs and 1:01.02secs.

“He’s not an aggressive horse or anything like that. If you want to go a half-mile breezing in 0:55, he’ll go 0:55. If you want to go 0:48, he will do that. He’s a very easy horse to ride,” Rosario said.

Owned by James Cavello, Sheep Pond Partners and Head of Plains Partners, Beach Patrol registered his fourth career win.

Like most of the winners on Belmont’s big day, Beach Patrol aims at the Breeders’ Cup Turf, run over the same one and a half-mile distance of the Hirsch. Despite having eight Breeders’ Cup wins already, Brown goes west with a realistic view at taking on the best European turf horses.

“The Breeders’ Cup is tough. We’ve had a lot of success there, but I don’t take it for granted,” Brown said.

“You have to have a lot of luck. It’s international races and everyone brings their best.”

Irish raider The Grey Gatsby failed to threaten from well off the pace, winding up ninth in the field of 11.

SEABHAC’S BLINKERS

Todd Pletcher enters horses like a safecracker spins a knob. He makes equipment changes the same way. When Pletcher entered maiden Seabhac in the Grade 3 Pilgrim at Belmont Park last Saturday with blinkers, it wasn’t without purpose.

The son of Scat Daddy justified the move, posting a mild upset in the turf stakes.

“We felt like both races that he ran at Saratoga were winning-quality races, he just didn’t finish first,” Pletcher said.

“He got in quite a bit of traffic at the quarter-pole in the With Anticipation, got shuffled back and still closed well and we felt like blinkers was going to maybe make the difference.

“We just felt like he trained well enough and ran well enough to deserve that chance.”

Owned by Donegal Racing, Seabhac cost $170,000 at Keeneland last year.