Elliot Mavorah's Interpatation pulled a shocker in the $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (gr. IT) and did it in sensational fashion. The 7-year-old gelding was passed by Gio Ponti with a furlong remaining, then re-rallied on the heavy favorite to score a 43-1 upset Oct. 3 at Belmont Park.
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Christophe Clement has had many talented stakes winners during his years as one of the nation's leading turf conditioners, but the French-born trainer now admits Gio Ponti may be at the top of that list. On Oct. 3, the 4-year-old son of Tale of the Cat seeks his fifth consecutive grade I grass victory when he lines up for the $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational at Belmont Park.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Favored Grand Couturier got the soft going he appreciates and a solid pace to chase, helping him to his first win of the year in the $158,500 Bowling Green Handicap (gr. IIT) at Belmont Park Sept. 13.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Grand Couturier heads into the $150,000 Bowling Green Handicap (gr. IIT) at Belmont Park Sept. 13 as the morning line favorite in spite of a fifth-place finish in Saratoga's Sword Dancer Invitational (gr. IT) last month that left trainer Robert Ribaudo a bit perplexed.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
A day of upsets at Saratoga was punctuated by the most shocking surprise of all in the $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational (gr. IT), as the 33-1 longshot Telling took over approaching the top of the stretch and held off Better Talk Now for his first stakes win.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Jason, Tom, and, Tim Holland from twinspires preview the Sword Dancer Invitational (gr. IT) at Saratoga on August 15.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Marc Keller's Grand Couturier has only won three of the 14 stakes he has attempted in this country, but the 6-year-old horse sure knows how to pick his spots. All three of the scores have been in grade I races, including two in the prestigious Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes (gr. IT) at Saratoga.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
With two previous winners of the Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap (gr. IT) slated to contest this year's running at Saratoga Aug. 15, it's safe to say the day will not be lacking in excitement.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Castleton Lyons' Gio Ponti, fresh off victories in the Frank Kilroe Mile (gr. IT) and Manhattan Handicap (gr. IT), will shoot for his third consecutive grade I score July 11 in the $500,000 Man o' War Stakes (gr. IT) at Belmont Park.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
The second running of the $200,000 Monmouth Stakes June 13, a 1 1/8-mile turf event that has the look of a graded event, figures to serve as a solid prep for the $750,000 United Nations Stakes (gr. IT), the New Jersey track's top grass offering of the season on July 4.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Most of the leading contenders for the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic to be run at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 24 are already stabled in South Florida for the winter season, but a few will be flying in for the 1 1/8 miles test, including West Point Thoroughbreds' 4-year-old Macho Again from Fair Grounds in New Orleans.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Robert Ribaudo, the small-stable trainer of Grand Couturier, considers himself lucky in a sport of declining fortunes. One of his former owner got back into the racing game and now they have a solid contender in the Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT).
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
As it often does, the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) has produced the morning-line favorite for the the $3-million Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) as Aidan O'Brien's Irish raider Soldier of Fortune leads a packed field of 11 at Santa Anita Oct. 25.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
HRTV's weekly series analyzing each division of the Breeders' Cup. This week's episode looks at the pre-entries.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Marc Keller's Grand Couturier scored his second consecutive grade I win, coming from off the pace to post a resounding victory in the $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (gr. IT) Sept. 27 at Belmont Park.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
After battling dual-classic winner Big Brown down the stretch in the Sept. 13 Monmouth Stakes only to fall a neck short, Gary Tanaka's Proudinsky will try to get back to his winning ways when he takes on eight turfers in the $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (gr. IT) Sept. 27 at Belmont Park.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Marc Keller's Grand Couturier had to check under Alan Garcia at the top of the lane, but re-rallied, split horses in mid-stretch, and drew clear to win the $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational (gr. IT) for the second consecutive year Aug. 16 at Saratoga. Better Talk Now finished second, followed by Interpatation.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Red Rocks and Dancing Forever, both fresh off grade I turf victories at Belmont, will square off in the star-studded Sword Dancer Invitational (gr. IT) Aug. 16 at Saratoga, a field that also includes three other grade I winners, including Grand Couturier, who won the event a year ago.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Trainer Steve Asmussen said he wanted a true measure of champion Curlin's potential to compete against the best grass runners in the world, and that's what he's likely to get in the $500,000 Man o' War Stakes (gr. IT) at Belmont Park July 12.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
In his last victory, the Aug. 11 Sword Dancer (gr. IT) at Saratoga, Grand Couturier hardly got the respect he deserved. That may change Oct. 27 in the John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT).
Friday, October 19, 2007
Doctor Dino had not won since last October, but reuniting with jockey Olivier Peslier may have been the key to getting him over the top, as the 5-year-old French-bred courageously outfought Sunriver to win by a head in the $500,000 Man o' War Stakes (gr. IT) Sept. 8 at Belmont Park.
Saturday, September 08, 2007
For the connections of the seven horses entered in the $500,000 Man o' War (gr. IT) at Belmont Park Sept. 8, decision time is drawing near for the John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT). With two of the big Eastern turf stars, English Channel and Better Talk Now, not taking part in the 1 3/8-mile event, the opportunity for a top performance could not be better.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Trying to catch Calvin Borel for an interview during his last day of racing at Saratoga was like attempting to pin down a darting dragonfly, and the Cajun jockey looked the part in Bill Farish's brilliant green and yellow silks as he scurried back to the private courtyard behind the jockeys' room before the fourth race of the day.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
The $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational (gr. IT) was setting up perfectly for heavy favorite English Channel. After coming from well off the pace, the 5-year-old son of Smart Strike made his usual late kick, rallying under jockey John Velazquez to take the lead as they headed for home. The only problem was, Grand Couturier had a finishing kick that was too much even for one of America's top turf horses, as the 4-year-old English-bred colt came flying along the rail to take Saratoga's feature in dramatic fashion.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Woodlander put the final touch on a successful Aqueduct season for leading owner Winning Move Stable Sunday when the 5-year-old edged Golden Commander by a neck in capturing the $114,100 Fort Marcy Handicap (gr. IIIT) on the grass at 1 1/16 miles.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Marc Keller's Grand Couturier, third-place finisher in Saratoga's Sword Dancer (gr. IT) last summer as a 3-year-old, makes his season debut in Sunday's $100,000-added Fort Marcy Handicap (gr. IIIT) at 1 1/16 miles on the turf at Aqueduct.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Marc Keller's Grand Couturier, a 3-year-old who was only beaten 2 ΒΌ lengths in Longchamp's Grand Prix de Paris (Fr-I), is one to watch in the overflow field entered for Saturday's $150,000 Red Smith Handicap (gr. IIT) on the Aqueduct turf course.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
When Bushwood Stable's Better Talk Now wins, it's usually close. Under Ramon Dominguez, the late closer gutted out a three-horse photo by a head to win Sunday's $269,156 Sky Classic Stakes (Can-II) on a yielding turf at Woodbine.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
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