Santa Anita: Acclamation to run in Clement Hirsch, will scratch from Goodwood

ARCADIA, Calif. - Acclamation will start in Sunday’s $150,000 Clement Hirsch Turf Championship at Santa Anita and will be scratched from Saturday’s $250,000 Goodwood Stakes, trainer Don Warren said on Friday afternoon.

Warren and majority owner Bud Johnston discussed options on Friday and decided to keep Acclamation in the turf race. Earlier this year, Acclamation won three graded stakes on turf at Hollywood Park and Del Mar. He then won the $1 million Pacific Classic on a Polytrack synthetic surface at Del Mar on Aug. 28.

The Goodwood Stakes will be run over 1 1/8 miles on dirt.

Acclamation will be heavily favored in the Clement Hirsch Turf Championship, which is run over 1 1/4 miles on turf. Warren said on Friday that Acclamation has the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5 as a long-term goal this fall.

“We went for what’s better for the horse and what’s better for him in five weeks rather than the Grade 1 and the amount of money,” Warren said. “We weighed the pros and cons of both races. We like the surface, on turf; we like the post and the distance better.”