Minaret Station Takes Joe Hirsch Turf Classic

Larry Best says with a smile that he's the only one who breeds to Instilled Regard. That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but there's no bigger fan of the Taylor Made Stallions sire than Best. Best bought Instilled Regard for $1.05 million as a 2-year-old and raced him under his OXO Equine banner. On the racetrack, Instilled Regard notched grade 1 honors and $1.05 million in earnings before heading to Taylor Made, where he stood the 2026 season for $8,000. Ever since the son of Arch arrived at Taylor Made in 2021, Best has been a faithful supporter of the stallion. In his stallion's first season at stud, Best bred Instilled Regard to the Sir Prancealot (IRE) mare Beau Recall (IRE), producing a colt he named Minaret Station. Five years later, Best's faith was rewarded on a major international stage. OXO's Minaret Station closed fastest in the stretch and captured the rescheduled Oct. 1 $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park by a half-length over a game Far Bridge to become Instilled Regard's first grade 1 winner. "It's the best feeling. What makes this special for me is that I had my convictions about Instilled Regard, I stuck with them and good things happened," Best said about the thrill of winning the grade 1 fixture with a homebred. Off Thursday's win, the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) at Keeneland is likely next for Minaret Station. "We'll be there," Best said. "He has a lot more in him. His father never got tired." For trainer Will Walden, the grade 1 win for the son of Instilled Regard was a just dessert for a string of solid recent efforts in which the 4-year-old was second in the Christophe Clement Turf Stakes (G1T), third in the Bowling Green Stakes (G2T), and second in the Arlington Stakes (G3T), each time by less than a length. "I'm not sure if this was much better than the other efforts he put forth this year," Walden said about the grade 2 winner at 2. "Every race has been a bang-up race this year. He always shows up. He's never had a bad day this year." Though the turf was firm for the 1 1/2-mile Joe Hirsch, Program Trading (GB) cruised along on the lead through soft fractions of :25.40, :51.37, and 1:16.92. Leaving the quarter pole, he began to tire and Godolphin's El Cordobes (IRE) forged to a short lead. From the rear, LSU Stables' Far Bridge was rallying inside of him and Minaret Station and jockey Jose Ortiz were charging on the outside. Inside the sixteenth pole they came together, with Minaret Station coming in a path as a tiring El Cordobes checked between horses late. Minaret Station ($13.72) crossed the wire a half-length ahead of Far Bridge, an English Channel 6-year-old, with El Cordobes another 2 1/4 lengths back in third. The stewards called for an inquiry but there was no change in the order of finish. Final time was 2:28.18. "He really stamps his progeny," Walden said about Instilled Regard. For Far Bridge, winner of the 2024 Joe Hirsch, the 2026 renewal was a sharp effort, especially since he had not raced since winning the March 28 Pan American Stakes (G3T). "I thought he ran great," trainer Miguel Clement said. "I'm very proud of him. We were basically a neck away from winning and I thought he ran great off a long layoff." Clement said he would talk with the owners about moving on to the Breeders' Cup. The Joe Hirsh was the first race for El Cordobes since Feb. 14 and trainer Charlie Appleby was pleased with the effort but said he will not run the son of Frankel (GB) in the Breeders' Cup Turf. "It was his first start off a long layoff and they didn't go a mad gallop," Appleby said. "(Jockey Flavien Prat) moved at the right time, but I was thinking he could get tired. Still, it was a good, solid race and he should come forward off it." The 7-5 favorite, European shipper Pride of Arras (IRE), was second early but weakened and finished last in the field of six. The win was the fourth in nine starts for Minaret Station, who has now earned $903,256. The Joe Hirsch was originally scheduled for Sept. 26 but was moved to Thursday due to inclement weather.