 Joe Hirsch, aged 80, died on January 9, 2009.The race was first run as the "Aqueduct Turf Classic Invitational Stakes" at Aqueduct Racetrack from 1977 to 1983 (although many publications list the 1980 Turf Classic as being run at Belmont Park, a video of the race on YouTube clearly shows the race being run at Aqueduct that year as well).Shortened to being called just the "Turf Classic" in 1983, it is raced at a distance of miles and at one time drew the top Thoroughbreds from the U.S. and Europe when it was part of a million dollar bonus for any horse who won it plus the Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto and the Washington, D.C., International at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland.