Saturday, September 27, 2008

GRAND COUTURIER SURVIVES OBJECTION IN HIRSCH TURF CLASSIC

By Francis LaBelle Jr.

Marc Keller’s Grand Couturier (GB) withstood a claim of foul from the connections of runner-up Interpatation Saturday afternoon and his 10 ¼-length victory in the 32nd running of the Grade 1, $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic was made official, officially making the 5-year-old son of Grand Lodge a legitimate contender for the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita on October 25.

On a day marked by upsets in three previous Grade 1 races at Belmont Park, Grand Couturier would have none of that nonsense in the mile and a half turf feature over the yielding Widener Turf Course.


With longshot Presious Passion setting an early pace of 24.97, 50.52, 1:16.84 Grand Couturier tracked in fifth, keeping Dancing Forever pinned on the inside. He bumped briefly with longshot Interpatation on the backstretch, and wound up going around horses to avoid the tiring pacesetter.

At the head of the stretch, jockey Alan Garcia set his mount down and Grand Couturier went on to his impressive win in 2:34.84.

But nothing comes too easy for Grand Couturier, and trainer Bobby Barbara and jockey Kent Desormeaux lodged a claim of foul against the winner, claiming interference on the far turn as Interpatation was making a move up the rail, which was set at nine feet.

“My heart was beating, I’ll tell you,” said winning trainer Bobby Ribaudo. “It didn’t really look that bad. We watch races every day, so I felt pretty good. It was just incredible, the acceleration. He just exploded.”

Garcia, who earlier won the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational aboard Dynaforce and would run second to Curlin aboard Wanderin Boy in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational later in the card, felt they would withstand the objection.

“I’m not sure what the objection was about,” Garcia said. “I thought the race was pretty clean. My horse really loved the soft course. I just asked him for run on the far turn and then he just took off. He’s gotten really good.”

Grand Couturier, who returned $7.30 to win, has now won two of four starts this year and both wins are Grade 1s. He won Saratoga’s Sword Dancer for the second straight year back on August 16. He now figures to run in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita on October 25. Last year, he ran sixth in the Turf over a soft course at Monmouth Park.

“This turf was in good shape today,” Ribaudo said. “The turf course at Monmouth last year scared us because he didn’t seem to get into it. It was a little deep with mud, and he didn’t really perform that day.”

Interpatation has been knocking on the door with a pair of third-place finishes leading to the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.

“(Grand Couturier) just came over and took my path,” Desormeaux said. “We’re lucky we didn’t fall. He got by me around the turn. It didn’t need to happen, he obviously shut me off. My horse ran huge.”

Summer Patriot, who had won three of his last four starts before Saturday, was nosed for the place.

“I don’t know, he got tired,” said trainer Barclay Tagg. “I guess he went the long way around and he had to make up a lot of ground, so I guess it was a little tough on him. I think if he had a little better trip, we would have been better off, but who knows? It was a big step up for him, but he ran well. Third by a nose in a Grade 1, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Strike a Deal, Proudinsky, Presious Passion, Dancing Forever and Jade’s Revenge trailed.

JOE HIRSCH TURF CLASSIC INVITATIONAL QUOTES

Winning trainer Bobby Ribaudo of favored Grand Couturier (GB) (No. 6): (regarding the claim of foul:) “My heart was beating, I’ll tell you. It didn’t really look that bad. We watch races every day, so I felt pretty good. It was just incredible, the acceleration. He just exploded.

“This turf was in good shape. The turf course at Monmouth last year scared us because he didn’t seem to get into it. It was a little deep with mud, and he didn’t really perform that day. I would think we will be going to the Breeders’ Cup [Turf, October 25, Santa Anita].”

Winning jockey Alan Garcia: “I’m not sure what the objection was about. I thought the race was pretty clean. My horse really loved the soft course. I just asked him for run on the far turn and then he just took off. He’s gotten really good.”

Bobby Barbara, trainer of runner-up Interpatation (No. 1): “(Grand Couturier) slammed into us. But my horse has been the best he’s ever been.”

Kent Desormeaux, jockey of Interpatation: “(Grand Couturier) just came over and took my path. We’re lucky we didn’t fall. He got by me around the turn. It didn’t need to happen, he obviously shut me off. My horse ran huge.”

Barclay Tagg, trainer of third-place finisher Summer Patriot (No. 5): “I don’t know, he got tired. I guess he went the long way around and he had to make up a lot of ground, so I guess it was a little tough on him. I think if he had a little better trip, we would have been better off, but who knows? It was a big step up for him, but he ran well. Third by a nose in a Grade 1, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Comments (0)