Godolphin announced that dual Breeders’ Cup Turf champion Rebel’s Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) will return to American racing for the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Aqueduct Racetrack on September 28.
The $14-million earner for Godolphin enters the race following a victory in the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin Stakes at Hoppegarten. Prior to that win, the homebred finished third for the second consecutive year in the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
Saturday’s race presents Rebel’s Romance with an opportunity to secure his 20th career victory and ninth at the Group/Grade 1 level. The Charlie Appleby trainee looks to improve upon his disappointing odds-on fourth-place finish in this race two years ago.
If successful, Rebel’s Romance would become the first foreign-trained winner of the Hirsch Classic since Aidan O’Brien’s Cape Blanco (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) accomplished the feat in 2011.
Frankie Dettori will guide Rebel’s Romance in Saturday’s contest.
Joining him from the Godolphin stable will be El Cordobes (Ire) (Frankel {GB})—a $2.3 million Tattersalls yearling purchase. The 4-year-old has won four of his 10 career starts and demonstrated his improving form last month when capturing the GI Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer at Saratoga.
“The plan has been to send the pair of them over and they’re both in good order,” trainer Charlie Appleby said. “Obviously, El Cordobes is slightly younger, but both he and Rebel’s Romance come in off the back of nice successes in their last runs. Hopefully that gives us a little confidence that one of them will be picking up the prize.”
The American contingent in the race includes Grade 1-placed Redistricting (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Grade 1-placed Rebel Red (GB) (Frankel {GB}), and multiple Grade 1 winner and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Far Bridge (English Channel).
Multiple stakes winner Bank Frenzy (Central Banker) and Le Gris (City of Light) are entered for the main-track only.
