Super Saturday Betting Guide: Mohawk Million, Joe Hirsch Turf Classic And Lukas Classic Headline September 26
Saturday September 26 is the single biggest betting day of the next two weeks. Six tracks across three countries stage graded and group stakes worth more than ten million dollars combined, from the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont Park to the Mohawk Million at Woodbine Mohawk Park, the Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs, the Goodwood at Santa Anita and a pair of Group 1s at Newmarket. Here is what we know about the fields, the market leaders and the stakes on offer at every track.
Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Headlines Belmont Park
The Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic goes as race 10 of 11 with a 12:05pm ET post time, worth five hundred thousand dollars over one and a half miles of turf. El Cordobes, trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by Flavien Prat, is the headline runner off his win in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga last August and makes his first US start since. He faces a seven horse field that includes Program Trading (Chad Brown, Ricardo Santana Jr), a three time Grade 1 winner, and Far Bridge (Miguel Clement, John Velazquez), a multiple Grade 1 winner making the step up in distance. Asbury Park (Chad Brown, Manny Franco) tries twelve furlongs for the first time, while Minaret Station (Will Walden, Jose Ortiz), Pride of Arras (Ralph Beckett, James Doyle) and Fort George (Ed Walker, Kieran Shoemark) round out the field with Group and Grade 2 or 3 form behind them. The winner earns eligibility for a Japan Racing Association bonus if selected for the Japan Cup at Tokyo. No morning line was available at the time of writing.
The Turf Classic anchors a huge afternoon at Belmont Park worth one and a half million dollars across four graded stakes. The Grade 2 Flower Bowl (five hundred thousand dollars) and Grade 2 Gallant Bloom (two hundred fifty thousand dollars) support the fillies and mares division, while the Grade 3 Vosburgh (two hundred fifty thousand dollars) is the sprint feature. Fields for those three had not been finalized at the time of writing, so check back closer to post for confirmed entries.
| Post | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Key Stat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minaret Station | Will Walden | Jose Ortiz | Grade 2 winner |
| 2 | Pride of Arras | Ralph Beckett | James Doyle | Group 3 winner |
| 3 | El Cordobes | Charlie Appleby | Flavien Prat | Grade 1 Sword Dancer winner, first US start since |
| 4 | Far Bridge | Miguel Clement | John Velazquez | Multiple Grade 1 winner |
| 5 | Asbury Park | Chad Brown | Manny Franco | Grade 2 winner, first try at 12 furlongs |
| 6 | Fort George | Ed Walker | Kieran Shoemark | Group 3 Dubai Millennium winner |
| 7 | Program Trading | Chad Brown | Ricardo Santana Jr | Three time Grade 1 winner |
Field verified via NYRA and Paulick Report. No morning line odds were available at the time of writing.
Mohawk Million And Metro Pace Turn Woodbine Mohawk Into A Million Dollar Night
Woodbine Mohawk Park hosts the richest harness card of the year, with five Grade 1s worth three and a half million Canadian dollars plus three seventy five thousand dollar Free For All events, first post 6:30pm ET.
Mohawk Million
The one million dollar Mohawk Million draws ten of the division's best three year old pacers. Athenas Girl, the reigning Grade 1 Peaceful Way Stakes champion trained by Marcus Melander, starts from post 2 with Dexter Dunn driving as Melander chases a third straight win in the race. She lines up against Dataprivacy (post 1, Louis Philippe Roy, Luc Blais), Detonator Hanover (post 3, Tyler Moore, Dr Ian Moore), Seven Pledges (post 4, Joe Bongiorno, Andrew Harris), Wrong Sounds Right (post 5, Todd McCarthy, Jim Campbell), Kissme Ifyoucan (post 6, Austin Hanners, Todd Luther), Nevis Peak (post 7, Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke), D A Johnny Cash (post 8, Doug McNair, Chris Mathews), Ocean Storm (post 9, James MacDonald, Cameron Capone) and Access Now (post 10, Bob McClure, Luc Blais).
| Post | Horse | Driver | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dataprivacy (filly) | Louis Philippe Roy | Luc Blais |
| 2 | Athenas Girl (filly) | Dexter Dunn | Marcus Melander |
| 3 | Detonator Hanover | Tyler Moore | Dr Ian Moore |
| 4 | Seven Pledges | Joe Bongiorno | Andrew Harris |
| 5 | Wrong Sounds Right | Todd McCarthy | Jim Campbell |
| 6 | Kissme Ifyoucan (filly) | Austin Hanners | Todd Luther |
| 7 | Nevis Peak (filly) | Yannick Gingras | Ron Burke |
| 8 | D A Johnny Cash | Doug McNair | Chris Mathews |
| 9 | Ocean Storm | James MacDonald | Cameron Capone |
| 10 | Access Now | Bob McClure | Luc Blais |
Post positions per Standardbred Canada. Single source; not independently cross checked against a second outlet at the time of writing.
Metro Pace
The one million dollar Metro Pace is just as loaded. Shalom Hanover, trained by Dr Ian Moore and unbeaten through seven stakes starts this season, lines up from post 3 with Louis Philippe Roy in the bike. Eastie Boy (post 6, Ronnie Wrenn Jr, Ron Burke), fresh off an elimination win, and Rose Run Cowboy (post 4, Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke) also carry live chances against High Rise Hanover (post 1, J R Plante, Nick Comegna), Cattletracks (post 2, Scott Zeron, Dr Ian Moore), TH Theo (post 5, Doug McNair, Gregg McNair), Vainqueur (post 7, Dexter Dunn, Andrew Harris), Global Choice (post 8, James MacDonald, Garry Merner), Big D Energy (post 9, Mark MacDonald, Herb Holland) and L A Captain (post 10, Bob McClure, Luc Blais).
| Post | Horse | Driver | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | High Rise Hanover | J R Plante | Nick Comegna |
| 2 | Cattletracks | Scott Zeron | Dr Ian Moore |
| 3 | Shalom Hanover | Louis Philippe Roy | Dr Ian Moore |
| 4 | Rose Run Cowboy | Yannick Gingras | Ron Burke |
| 5 | TH Theo | Doug McNair | Gregg McNair |
| 6 | Eastie Boy | Ronnie Wrenn Jr | Ron Burke |
| 7 | Vainqueur | Dexter Dunn | Andrew Harris |
| 8 | Global Choice | James MacDonald | Garry Merner |
| 9 | Big D Energy | Mark MacDonald | Herb Holland |
| 10 | L A Captain | Bob McClure | Luc Blais |
Post positions per Standardbred Canada. Single source; not independently cross checked against a second outlet at the time of writing.
The card also features the Canadian Trotting Classic (five hundred ninety thousand Canadian dollars), She's A Great Lady (five hundred ten thousand Canadian dollars) and Elegantimage (four hundred thousand Canadian dollars), rounding out a five Grade 1 program.
Lukas Classic Day At Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs closes its September meet with the thirteenth running of the Grade 2 Lukas Classic, worth five hundred thousand dollars over one and one eighth miles, post time 12:45pm ET with the race itself going off at 5:29pm ET as race 10. Banishing, the six year old Ghostzapper gelding trained by David Jacobson with more than three point two million dollars in career earnings, heads the field off a runner up finish in the Charles Town Classic and a win in the Jeff Hall Memorial in July. Francisco Arrieta takes the ride from post 4. He is opposed by Original Sin (post 5, Brendan Walsh, Ben Curtis), a Blame Stakes winner, Tiztastic (post 3, Steve Asmussen, Brian Hernandez Jr), winner of the 2025 Louisiana Derby, Dragoon Guard (post 2, Brad Cox, Tyler Gaffalione), Chunk of Gold (post 7, Ethan West, Jaime Torres), a Grade 3 winner, This Is Uscar (post 1, Jordan Blair, Edgar Morales) and McAfee (post 6, George Weaver, Luis Saez).
Supporting stakes on the card include the Grade 3 Ack Ack (four hundred thousand dollars) over one mile, featuring Most Wanted after his four length allowance romp in June, and the Bourbon Flight (three hundred thousand dollars), taking the day's stakes total to one point two million dollars across three races.
| Post | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Key Stat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | This Is Uscar | Jordan Blair | Edgar Morales | - |
| 2 | Dragoon Guard | Brad Cox | Tyler Gaffalione | - |
| 3 | Tiztastic | Steve Asmussen | Brian Hernandez Jr | 2025 Louisiana Derby (G2) winner |
| 4 | Banishing | David Jacobson | Francisco Arrieta | 11 wins from 32 starts, $3.2M+ earnings |
| 5 | Original Sin | Brendan Walsh | Ben Curtis | Blame Stakes (G3) winner |
| 6 | McAfee | George Weaver | Luis Saez | - |
| 7 | Chunk of Gold | Ethan West | Jaime Torres | Grade 3 winner |
Field verified via Churchill Downs official news and Paulick Report. No morning line odds were available at the time of writing.
Santa Anita's Opening Weekend Builds Around The Goodwood
A day after opening its Autumn Meet, Santa Anita runs the Grade 1 Goodwood, a Breeders' Cup Classic Win and You're In qualifier over one and one eighth miles. Nevada Beach, the defending champion who won last year's renewal by a length and a half at 8/1, has been training steadily for a repeat bid. He heads eighteen nominees that include British Isles, winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap, Forged Steel, winner of the Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup, and Original Sin, runner up in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic. A confirmed final field and morning line had not been published at the time of writing.
The Goodwood anchors a one million dollar stakes day that also includes the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile (two hundred thousand dollars), Grade 2 Eddie D (two hundred thousand dollars), Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship (two hundred thousand dollars) and Grade 3 John C Harris (one hundred thousand dollars), five graded stakes in total.
Cambridgeshire Saturday Delivers Two Group Ones At Newmarket
Newmarket's three day Cambridgeshire meeting reaches its Saturday peak with the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes and Group 1 Middle Park Stakes, first race 1:22pm UK, 8:22am ET. Eight fillies remain in the Cheveley Park. Senorita Bonita, trained by Simon and Ed Crisford off wins in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes and the Prix Morny at Deauville, and Sun Goddess, trained by Aidan O'Brien on the back of four straight wins including the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes and Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes, head the market on form. Libertango (George Boughey), a winner of the Albany Stakes and the Lowther Stakes, also carries deep Group 1 credentials, with Star Of State and Alwaysanangel (both Joseph O'Brien), Snowing (Ballydoyle), Moonrise (Andrew Balding) and Controlla (Robson De Aguiar) completing the field.
| Horse | Trainer | Key Stat |
|---|---|---|
| Senorita Bonita | Simon and Ed Crisford | 3 wins from 4 starts, won Duchess of Cambridge Stakes and Prix Morny |
| Sun Goddess | Aidan O'Brien | 4 straight wins including Group 1 Phoenix Stakes and Moyglare Stud Stakes |
| Libertango | George Boughey | Won Albany Stakes and Lowther Stakes |
| Star Of State | Joseph O'Brien | - |
| Alwaysanangel | Joseph O'Brien | - |
| Snowing | Ballydoyle | - |
| Moonrise | Andrew Balding | - |
| Controlla | Robson De Aguiar | - |
Field per a single syndicated news report. Not independently cross checked against a second source; jockeys and odds were not available at the time of writing.
The Middle Park Stakes has been cut to ten juvenile colts, led by Great Barrier Reef for Aidan O'Brien and Push The Boat Out for Michael O'Callaghan. The card also carries the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes, where thirteen two year olds remain with Charlie Appleby's First Law installed as favorite, though Appleby has cautioned that quick ground could rule him out. The historic Cambridgeshire Handicap completes the card as the meeting's betting heat race.
Also Live On Saturday: The Curragh And The Wider Card
The Curragh stages the Group 2 Beresford Stakes, a Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier where Aidan O'Brien has traditionally dominated the entries, though a confirmed field had not been published at the time of writing. Between Belmont, Woodbine Mohawk, Churchill, Santa Anita, Newmarket and the Curragh, Saturday September 26 offers more graded and group stakes than any other single day in the next fortnight.
Best Bets For Super Saturday
El Cordobes' Sword Dancer form makes him the class act in the Turf Classic, though Program Trading's three Grade 1 wins make him the biggest threat if the Godolphin runner is short of his best in his US return. In the Lukas Classic, Banishing's money earned record and repeat local form give him the nod over Tiztastic's clear three year old upside. Athenas Girl carries the shortest form line into the Mohawk Million as Melander bids for a third straight win in the race, while Senorita Bonita's Group 1 form in France makes her the one to beat in the Cheveley Park.
Ready To Bet Super Saturday
With graded and group stakes running from Belmont's turf course to the Woodbine Mohawk oval and Newmarket's Rowley Mile, Saturday gives bettors a full card of marquee racing to work across dirt, turf and standardbred pacing alike.
Bet online at app.mywinners.com, on the MyWinners: Racing & Sports app on iOS or Android, or go here to find your nearest MyWinners or Winners venue in CT.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic goes as race 10 of 11 with a 12:05pm ET card post time, run over one and a half miles of turf for a five hundred thousand dollar purse.
Athenas Girl, the reigning Grade 1 Peaceful Way Stakes champion trained by Marcus Melander, draws plenty of attention as Melander bids for a third straight win in the race, against a ten horse field of the division's best three year old pacers.
Banishing, a six year old Ghostzapper gelding with more than three point two million dollars in career earnings, heads the seven horse field off a runner up finish in the Charles Town Classic and a win in the Jeff Hall Memorial.
Nevada Beach won last year's Goodwood Stakes by a length and a half at 8/1 and has been training steadily to defend his title in this year's Breeders Cup Classic Win and You're In qualifier at Santa Anita.
Newmarket stages the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes and Group 1 Middle Park Stakes on Cambridgeshire Saturday, alongside the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes and the historic Cambridgeshire Handicap.
