In The Money Telegraph
Thursday, October 1, 2026 · By ITM Staff
Belmont’s $1.9 Million Super Card
Last weekend’s nor’easter has a silver lining: all six graded stakes washed out at Belmont have been folded into a single blockbuster Thursday card. The eight-race program goes off at 2:10 p.m. ET with the six stakes running nearly back-to-back from Race 3, offering a combined $1.9 million in graded purses — a genuine festival of racing crammed into one afternoon.
The $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1), a key Breeders’ Cup Turf prep at a mile and a half, headlines as Race 7 (5:18 p.m. ET). It’s backed by two Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In’’ qualifiers — the $500,000 Flower Bowl (G2), the nightcap at 5:48, which sends its winner to the Filly & Mare Turf, and the $250,000 Vosburgh (G3), a Sprint qualifier — plus the Gallant Bloom (G2), the Belmont Turf Sprint (G3), and the Winter Memories (G3). PTF and JK went through the whole card (and recapped a big Churchill Saturday) in the show below; PTF also has full write-ups of the Vosburgh, Joe Hirsch, and Flower Bowl over at At The Races, where he lands on Fort George in the Joe Hirsch and Kathy and Marissa in the Flower Bowl.
The Weekend Ahead: A Loaded Three Days
Friday brings a convergence. It’s the finale of the In the Money HorsePlayers Tour regular season — the last $20 feeder at HorsePlayers.com, and the final chance to grab a playoff berth before the three-round playoffs (October 9, 16, and 23) that end with a $10,000 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge seat. It also happens to be Keeneland’s Fall opening day. The Lexington track turns 90 this year and launches its signature Fall Stars Weekend with three “Win and You’re In’’ races on Friday alone: the Darley Alcibiades (G1), the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2), and the Jessamine (G2).
Saturday is the biggest day of the lot. Keeneland’s Fall Stars Saturday is headed by the $1.25 million Coolmore Turf Mile (G1), a Breeders’ Cup Mile qualifier, alongside the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and the Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) — three more Breeders’ Cup berths on the line. And up north, Woodbine stages its Fall Turf Showcase, headlined by the 86th running of the Grade 1 Canadian International.
Woodbine’s 11-race card (first post 1:05 p.m. ET) stacks four graded turf stakes: the $750,000 Canadian International (G1), the $250,000 Nearctic (G2), the $200,000 bet365 Dance Smartly (G2), and the $250,000 bet365 Algonquin (G3), with a $100,000 guaranteed Early Pick 5 to kick off the sequence. ITM’s Callum Helliwell will be on site at Woodbine for Sky Sports Racing, and he and PTF are recording a show on the card — look for it on inthemoneypodcast.com.
Sunday closes Fall Stars Weekend with two more Keeneland qualifiers — the Juddmonte Spinster (G1), a Breeders’ Cup Distaff “Win and You’re In,’’ and the Castle & Key Bourbon (G2). It all builds toward the Breeders’ Cup itself at Keeneland on October 30–31 — and ITM’s coverage ramps up daily from here.
Mark Your Calendar: Breeders’ Cup Handicapping Event
The perfect kickoff to racing’s biggest weekend: the 2026 Breeders’ Cup Handicapping Event, presented by Medallion Racing, takes place Thursday, October 29 at Malone’s Banquet Center in Lexington — the eve of the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland. Expect expert handicapping, networking, and a great night out with fellow racing fans before the World Championships. Tickets are live now. Get your tickets here →
ITM Plus
The Best Time All Year to Join ITM Plus
There’s no better month to sign up. For a single month, you get all of ITM’s Keeneland Fall Meet coverage and the full Breeders’ Cup package — which includes proprietary trip notes and speed figures for the foreign horses, in-depth coverage of every race, and grid picks from the entire team. If you’ve been waiting to try Plus, this is the window.
More all week at inthemoneypodcast.com and on the ITM YouTube channel, with premium coverage on ITM Plus.
