NEW YORK -- Heavily favored Flintshire lost for the first time this season, with Ectot winning the $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic by five lengths Saturday at Belmont Park.
Ectot, a 9-1 shot, set the pace for the 1½ miles over the rain-softened course in a race with only four runners. Flintshire, the 1-5 choice, rallied under Javier Castellano on the final turn but was no match for the pace-setter.
The Hirsch was one of five stakes on the first of two Super Saturdays at Belmont Park featuring Breeders' Cup prep races.
Ectot paid $20.80 and $4.40. Flintshire was second, ending his string of Grade 1 victories at three. He returned $2.10. There was no show betting.
The victory gave Ectot, a 5-year-old trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Jose Ortiz, a spot in the $4 million Turf on Nov. 5 at Santa Anita.
Twilight Eclipse was third, followed by Money Multiplier.
In other stakes results:
• Joking ($10 to win) earned the other guaranteed Breeders' Cup spot with a dramatic rally in the mud to take the $350,000 Vosburgh for sprinters. It was the first Grade 1 victory for both owner-trainer Charlton Baker and jockey Manny Franco. It was the fourth consecutive victory for the 7-year-old gelding, who is now heading to the $1.5 million Breeders' Cup Sprint.
• Forever Unbridled ($3.50) cruised to a commanding victory under a hand ride by Joel Rosario to take the $400,000 Beldame for fillies and mares. The 4-year-old filly trained by Dallas Stewart got her third victory in five stakes starts this season.
• Paulassilverlining ($5.60) rallied six wide in the stretch to beat Quezon by three quarters of a length in the $300,000 Gallant Bloom for filly and mare sprinters. It was the fourth victory in seven starts this season for the 4-year-old trained by Michelle Nevin.
• The $200,000 Pilgrim, the other turf stakes on the card, also went to a frontrunner as Oscar Performance ($5.40) romped to a six-length victory in the race for 2-year-olds. The colt logged his second victory in three starts.
Sports on 10/02/2016