Channel Maker upsets Robert Bruce in Joe Hirsch Turf Classic
In a mild upset, it was Channel Maker at odds of 5-1 that won the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont Park in front running style. In doing so, he secured a “Win and You’re In” spot in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs on November 3.
Robert Bruce, the winner of eight out of nine career starts including the Arlington Million, had already secured his spot in the Breeders’ Cup with that victory in Chicago. As is the case with most Chad Brown runners, he was heavily bet and was sent off as the even money favorite.
Channel Maker took control of the race right out of the gate by going to the lead and staying there the entire mile and a half on a Widener turf course that was rated soft. Jockey Jose Ortiz was able to set very comfortable fractions while facing a brief challenge from the European invader Teodoro and his rider Ryan Moore.
Trainer Bill Mott has seen a change in his 4-year-old son of English Channel, “He’s got a little different running style [from last year]. Even the last two or three times, he’s always broke and been back; he’s never gotten away clearly enough to be up on the lead. But, the last couple of times, he’s been breaking better.”
As the Bill Mott runner raced out front, Robert Bruce was content to sit back in fourth position waiting to make his usual closing move. Coming around the final turn, he began to make up ground and it looked like he would go right by the leader, but Channel Maker had lots of run left and spurted away to win by 4 ½ lengths.
“A horse couldn’t be doing better than he’s been doing,” added Mott. “I don’t know if he can stay this good for another four or five weeks. But he’s just gotten better and better since those two runs at Saratoga. He’s been hard to hold on the ground. Put it this way, he needed to run. I’m glad we didn’t have to wait another four or five weeks to run.”
For Channel Maker, it’s on the Breeders’ Cup with hopes of following in the footsteps of his father English Channel, who won the Joe Hirsch in 2007 and then went on to take the Breeders’ Cup Turf that same year.
Mott talked about the World Championships, “I don’t see any reason we wouldn’t at this point. I don’t know, he may go back to Saratoga and then we’ll try to get to Churchill a couple weeks beforehand.”