OZONE PARK, N.Y. - While Rebel’s Romance, winner of Saturday’s Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic will be prepared for a bid at a third Breeders’ Cup Turf victory, Far Bridge, who finished fourth in the Hirsch, is likely to skip the Breeders’ Cup.
A long, and pretty successful season may have caught up to Far Bridge, who finished six lengths behind Rebel’s Romance in the Hirsch. Trainer Miguel Clement said that he is strongly considering giving Far Bridge a 30- to 45-day freshening and pointing to the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational next January at Gulfstream. Far Bridge is 4 for 4 in his career at Gulfstream Park.
“I’m leaning towards giving him a freshening and point to the Pegasus, it makes a lot of sense,” Clement said. “He’s better than that. He was traveling great on the bridle, when he asked him he didn’t set it down. He should have finished second with the trip that he had.”
Far Bridge, a 5-year-old son of English Channel, won three of six starts this year, including the Grade 3 Pan American at Gulfstream, the Grade 2 Man o’ War at Aqueduct and the Grade 2 Bowling Green at Saratoga.
Meanwhile, Rebel’s Romance, who won the Hirsch by 3 1/2 lengths, and his stablemate El Cordobes, who was beaten a neck by Redistricting for second, both shipped to trainer Charlie Appleby’s stable in England on Sunday. Rebel’s Romance for sure will be prepared for the Breeders’ Cup Turf, a race he won in both 2022 and 2024. El Cordobes, who won the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga in August, could also be possible for the BC Turf.
Rebel’s Romance, a 7-year-old gelding by Dubawi, won for the 20th time in 29 career starts. He has won nine Group or Grade 1 races and has earned $14,446,477.
“What more can we say about Rebel’s Romance? He writes his own story,” Appleby told NYRA publicity. “With respects to El Cordobes, with a bit of cover, he would’ve finished second. We will obviously see how the pair of them come out of the race. Rebel’s Romance is likely to head to the Breeders’ Cup, and we will make a call on what we do with El Cordobes.”
Rebel’s Romance earned a 106 Beyer Speed Figure, equaling the number he earned winning last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf.
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