Weekend GamePlan for Sept. 26, 2026: Picks for Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, Ack Ack, Selima

Fourth weekend in September, summer’s officially over. We’re moving inexorably toward the Breeders’ Cup meeting at Keeneland, and Saturday’s racing abounds with Breeders’ Cup preps.

Joe Hirsch Turf Classic

European horses, more than ever, dominate North American graded turf stakes, and this is not just Godolphin and Charlie Appleby winning everything in sight. That team didn’t have a graded stakes winner here this year until Notable Speech won the Woodbine Mile and Al Hudaiba the Summer two weekends ago.

In New York, Kensington Lane won the Belmont Oaks, and Title Role the Belmont Derby. Survie won the Glens Falls, then the Christophe Clement. Glacius won the Saratoga Derby, and while he was beaten at Kentucky Downs, overseas shippers Tiffany, Haatem, and Take Charge Star won graded races there.

Poor Minaret Station: He ought to be a rising force in the long-distance American turf division, but with three Euros to face Saturday, he’s up against it.

El Cordobes, third in this race a year ago and a blossoming international force after the Breeders’ Cup Turf, hasn’t raced since a tame showing Feb. 28 in Qatar. I doubt he returns ready to beat Pride of Arras.

Pride of Arras ran so well winning the Dante last summer that he went off 4-1 second choice in the English Derby, where he laid an egg, pulling like a crazy horse during the early stages. He was no better in the Irish Derby and was gelded before he raced again.

Back last August at York, his favorite course, he beat, among others, dual derby winner Lambourn in the Great Voltigeur, his first start as a gelding. Pride of Arras got the wrong trip and didn’t run to his best form last November in Bahrain, but did gain international traveling experience that should serve him well this week.

Off from November until July, Pride of Arras ran poorly in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, and in fact looked in the final strides like he had hurt himself. But 20 days later, he was back at York with a good second while giving weight to Item, who came back to land the Juddmonte International.

Still, I didn’t think Pride of Arras looked quite his very best self in the York Stakes – but he did winning the September Stakes over Kempton Park’s synthetic surface.

Therein lies what I think is the key to Pride of Arras. Kempton’s a flat oval, like American tracks, and York is one of the flatter courses in England. I think Pride of Arras is made for American racing, might be primed for a career-best race, and will win the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.

Ack Ack

Nu What’s New made his stakes debut Feb. 28 in the Razorback at Oaklawn and ran into a horse there named Magnitude. Magnitude eventually wore him down in the final half-furlong – then won the Dubai World Cup and the Stephen Foster in his next two starts.

At 1 1/16 miles, the Razorback’s a half-furlong farther than Nu What’s New’s ideal trip. The very best dirt milers show almost as much speed as a top pure sprinter but can sustain their pace farther than a sprinter – exactly how Nu What’s New goes about his business. That was never truer than in the Hanshin. Saturday, Nu What’s New has the perfect post and the perfect rider, Luis Saez, to make full use of his rare ability, and the presence of Bishops Bay boosts his price.

Selima

My first inclination was to dismiss Dance to Glory in the Selima because she’d gotten away with a waddling pace in her Colonial debut. Then I watched the way she kicked away from the competition after cornering for home and decided Dance to Glory might be pretty good.

The filly breezed at Palm Beach Downs and Saratoga, presumably trained by Todd Pletcher, before winding up in Maryland. Why? I can’t say, but I’d imagine because she wasn’t showing much – on dirt. Dance to Glory had her first non-dirt work July 10, when she breezed over the all-weather at Fair Hill, and three weeks later, she looked very much like a turf horse in the easy Colonial win.

Dance to Glory didn’t pull too hard at all in her race; I very much doubt she needs to lead, and doubt she will lead the Selima. She has positional pace, though, and a turn of foot, and even trained by Brittany Russell might go off a fair price.