Joe Hirsch top three to meet again in BC Turf

Joe Hirsch top three to meet
again in BC Turf

Little Mike returned to form ahead of his title defense at Santa Anita (Jessie Holmes/EquiSport Photos) Little Mike is Breeders’ Cup-bound once again after winning Saturday’s Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational, trainer Dale Romans confirmed on Sunday. “It looks like he came out of (the race) good,” said Romans, who trains the six-year-old for Priscilla Vaccarezza. “He’s a very sound horse. He dances every dance. At least he’ll get a little more respect now.” The Joe Hirsch Turf Classic was Little Mike’s first win since his victory in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Turf and his first race with Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith aboard. The 2013 Breeders’ Cup Turf will be contested on November 2 at Santa Anita. “With Mike (Smith) having had that race under his belt and (Santa Anita) being his home racetrack, I feel pretty good about going,” Romans said. Last year, Ramon Dominguez rode the gelding to a win in the Arlington Million, a fifth in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, and a triumph in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. After the 2013 Turf Classic, Smith said he mimicked Dominguez’s hand placement on Little Mike. “It was pretty smart of Mike (Smith) to think like that,” Romans said. “Whatever he did, it worked. He ran like he did for Ramon. Ramon texted me last night to congratulate me. I told him what Mike said, and he got a kick out of that.” Romans added that Little Mike will return to Churchill Downs on Tuesday.

It’s also on to the Breeders’ Cup for Ken and Sarah Ramsey homebreds Big Blue
Kitten and Real Solution, trainer Chad Brown said Sunday morning.

The stablemates ran against each other for the first time on Saturday, with
Big Blue Kitten finishing a nose behind Little Mike in the Joe Hirsch Turf
Classic Invitational. Real Solution checked in another length back in third.

“They came out of the race good, so far,” Brown said. “I thought they both
ran very well, and so did the winner. We were just on the wrong end of the bob
this time. It happens. I thought we were in front just before the wire and after
the wire, but on the wire (Big Blue Kitten) was on the wrong end of it but to a
good horse.

“If they stay healthy and they train well, I plan on taking them both out
there,” Brown said of advancing to the Turf. “Hopefully, we get good, cozy
draws. Both of these horses have proven now that they are among the top
long-distance grass horses in this country. We’ll look for the rematch out at
Santa Anita.”

Big Blue Kitten had won his two previous starts, the United Nations at
Monmouth Park in July and the Sword Dancer Invitational last month at Saratoga.
Jockey Joe Bravo has been aboard for his past four races, including a runner-up
finish on June 9 in the Monmouth.

Big Blue Kitten (right) had his nose in front just before, and after, but not on the wire (Jessie Holmes/EquiSport Photos) “I thought Big Blue Kitten had a good, ground-saving trip, other than the fact that he had to pause momentarily turning for home, which probably cost him the win,” the trainer said. “Up to then he did save a lot of ground and had clear sailing, but that’s turf racing. I thought Joe did a good job making a split-second decision to get himself out of trouble. It was only a momentary pause, but anytime you lose by an inch you probably can say it cost us.” Brown said Real Solution had to prove himself at the 1 1/2-mile distance before he would consider the Breeders’ Cup. In his previous start, he finished second but was elevated to the win via the disqualification of The Apache in the Arlington Million. “Real Solution’s trip I was a little more concerned with, because he was so wide the whole way,” Brown noted. “He only got beat a length for the whole thing, and he had to run farther than a length for how wide he was. You’re going to have to go around horses at some point, but I felt watching the head-on (replay) that he was quite wide the entire way going a mile and a half. I really needed to see if he could go a mile and a half to go on to the Breeders’ Cup. Only getting beat a length going that wide, he earned his right to go out there.”

Brown is considering the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile for Grade 3 winner Easter
Gift, who was fifth, beaten just 2 1/2 lengths, in the Kelso Handicap. Earlier
this year, the Hard Spun colt had strung together three consecutive wins,
including the Mountainview Handicap in June at Penn National.

“Easter Gift had a bad trip. He had a bad post, and he’s not crazy about
running on the inside of horses,” Brown said. “I don’t think Mike (Smith) had
any choice. Several times he tried to get him off the rail, and there was just
nowhere to go. It’s more or less a non-effort. The horse looks like he really
didn’t run much this morning. I don’t know what I’ll do.

“I wouldn’t rule out taking that horse out to the Dirt Mile. He’s the kind of
horse that has a big race in him, I think. He’s run a couple numbers already
that would make him competitive if he runs his very best race going a mile on
the dirt.”

Also for Brown on Saturday, The Last Gunfighter finished fifth in the Jockey
Club Gold Cup Invitational, ahead of three Grade 1 winners in Alpha, Cross
Traffic and Kentucky Derby hero Orb.

“I’m never happy when I finish fifth in a race, but I would say I’m not
disappointed with his effort. He gave me as good a race as he possibly could,”
Brown said. “It was a tough race and he didn’t disgrace himself any. We’ll just
regroup with him. I have no plans for him yet.”

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