OZONE PARK, N.Y. – A small field with no pace changed the manner in which Frankie Dettori was planning to ride Rebel’s Romance in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Aqueduct.
It didn’t change the inevitable outcome.
Rebel’s Romance took the lead from Redistricting in upper stretch the first time through in the 1 1/2-mile turf race and then proceeded to gallop to an easy-as-he-pleased, 3 1/2-length victory in the Joe Hirsch. Redistricting held second by a neck over El Cordobes. Far Bridge, last year’s Hirsch winner, was fourth followed by Rebel Red.
The win was the 20th in 29 career starts and ninth in a Grade or Group 1 race for Rebel’s Romance, a 7-year-old gelding by Dubawi owned and bred by Godolphin Racing. It also sets him up for a bid at a third victory in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. He won the race last year at Del Mar and in 2022 at Keeneland. The Hirsch is a "Win and You're In" qualifying race for the BC Turf. Rebel's Romance will be trying to equal Goldikova – the European-based mare who won the BC Mile three times (2008-10) – as the only horses to win three Breeders’ Cup races.
“He’s a very special horse, if he could win three Breeders’ Cups I think that would be pretty special,” said Alex Merriam, assistant to trainer Charlie Appleby.
Frankie Dettori, who rode Rebel’s Romance for the first time, was told by Appleby and the gelding’s regular rider William Buick that the horse would be better with a target. Dettori tried to let Rebel’s Romance sit off of Redistricting, ridden by Flavien Prat, but the pace was too slow.
“He gave me free reign,” Dettori said in his discussion with Appleby. “Flavien was going too slow. I said let him [go], he was doing it on his own rhythm and I know he stays so just half way down the turn when I went through the gears, he went. I didn’t hear anything so I knew I was well clear.
“What a lovely horse, a 7-year-old still competing at the highest level, good traveler, and for a big unit he corners really well because the inner track can be really tricky,” Dettori added.
Rebel’s Romance covered the 1 1/2 miles over firm turf in 2:25.72 (106 Beyer Speed Figure) and returned $3.28 as the favorite.
Rebel’s Romance won his fifth start from seven stakes this year and has won seven of his last nine going back to last year’s victory in the Group 1 Preis von Europa in Germany.
“He’s a very sound horse, he’s very straight forward, he obviously was gelded early,” Merriam said. “[He’s] slightly what Sheikh Mohammed designed Godolphin to do – to have horses like him to travel around the world. He’s a flag bearer for Sheikh Mohammed and Team Godolphin.
Merriam said both he and El Cordobes were scheduled to fly back to England on Sunday to prepare for the Breeders’ Cup. El Cordobes, who won the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga to secure his spot in the BC Turf, just missed second in the Hirsch, jockey John Velazquez saying the horse raced just evenly when he called on him.
“He was traveling beautifully all the way to the three-eighths pole,” Velazquez said. “When I pulled him out at the quarter pole, three-sixteenths pole thinking he was going to kick he kind of stayed the same.”
Rebel’s Romance stayed the same as well. And for Godolphin, that same never gets old.
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