Minaret Station still fresh after Joe Hirsch victory

ELMONT, N.Y. - Minaret Station came out of his victory in Thursday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Stakes at Belmont Park with a little more energy than he has some of his previous races and trainer Will Walden believes he knows the reason.

“He only ran about a quarter of a mile yesterday,” Walden said Friday. “He was off the bridle, galloping along, Jose [Ortiz] asked him to run at the 2 1/2 [furlong marker] and that’s pretty much all the energy he put out. This morning, he was bright, jumping around and really playful.”

After four narrow defeats in stakes this year, Minaret Station finally broke through for his first career Grade 1 stakes victory in the Hirsch, outfinishing Far Bridge by a half-length and withstanding a stewards’ inquiry into the result. El Cordobes, who finished third in the Joe Hirsch, did take up late when Minaret Station came in a bit, but the stewards deemed that didn’t impact the result.

Minaret Station earned a 102 Beyer Speed Figure for the result.

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Walden said Minaret Station would ship back to his base at Churchill Downs on Saturday and likely do all of his preparation for the Breeders’ Cup there before vanning to Keeneland. Breeders’ Cup entrants must be on the grounds by 11 a.m. Oct. 27.

Walden will go into the Breeders’ Cup with some added confidence knowing the horse already has won at Keeneland, having captured the Grade 2 Bourbon there as a 2-year-old.

“Not everybody likes that turf course,” Walden said.

Meanwhile, Far Bridge, the 2024 Joe Hirsch winner, ran a gallant second in Thursday’s renewal, considering it was his first start in six months and he may have been bothered some late when Minaret Station came over in deep stretch.

Miguel Clement, trainer of Far Bridge, said the Breeders’ Cup Turf “is on the table,” but he is equally interested in the Pegasus World Cup Turf, typically run at Gulfstream Park in January. Far Bridge is 5 for 5 over the Gulfstream turf.

Clement said a combination of the Breeders’ Cup, the Grade 2, $500,000 Man o’ War at Belmont on Nov. 28, and the Pegasus will be considered for Far Bridge.

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