Grand Couturier bowls them over on the green

Marc Keller's GRAND COUTURIER (GB) (Grand Lodge) provided his own twist for

the old proverb and showed that sometimes the fourth try can be the charm in

Sunday's $158,500

Bowling Green H. (G2) at Belmont Park. Fifth in each of his first three

starts of 2009, the multiple Grade 1 winner finally put it all together in his

fourth outing of the campaign. The Bobby Ribaudo veteran got the yielding turf

he relishes, as well as a frenetic pace up front, to set the stage for his

last-to-first rally. Sweeping past Winchester (Theatrical [Ire]) in midstretch,

Grand Couturier strode two lengths clear and finished 1 3/8 miles in 2:15 4/5.

In a surprising development, Presque Isle Downs shipper Up to No Good (Ecton

Park) sprinted to a long lead and blazed his way through testing fractions of

:22 4/5 and :46 2/5. Twelve lengths in front at the half-mile split, the

pacesetter began his inexorable decline while passing six furlongs in 1:13 2/5

with an eight-length margin that was already evaporating. Through it all, Grand

Couturier was anchoring the eight-horse field.

Thabazimbi (Empire Maker), who had been racing in second, overtook the

rapidly-weakening Up to No Good entering the far turn. Moving virtually in

tandem with Thabazimbi was Winchester. Just a head back of the new leader

through one mile in 1:39, Winchester put Thabazimbi away turning for home.

Meanwhile, Grand Couturier was gaining rapidly for Alan Garcia. Winchester

stayed on resolutely on the inside, but Grand Couturier was too strong in the

closing stages as he asserted his back class. The 8-5 favorite returned $5.20,

$3.10 and $2.20.

"It's a relief," Ribaudo said. "How good the race was, or not, we'll try to

get a better look at it. The horse was aggressive down the backside, which he

hadn't been in his last few races; these are things you want to see.

"If he did go (for a title defense) in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic

(Invitational [G1] on October 3), it's going to be a lot tougher and he's going

to have to step up off this," the trainer noted. "As nice as this was, it's the

next step he has to get to in order to be where he was this time last year.

"But, we're going in the right direction. Before the race, we didn't know. He

was always doing well, it's not like he changed -- it was a good vote of

confidence for all of us. That's why we ran today."

"My horse was a little rough by the three-eighths pole, but he was ready to

run when it came time to go," Garcia said. "I was waiting, waiting, and turning

for home my horse decided to take off and he was much the best today." 

Winchester, the 4-1 third choice, yielded $4.40 and $3.20. Another 7 1/4

lengths adrift came Thabazimbi, worth $5.20 at 12-1. The exotics totaled $27

(exacta), $177 (trifecta) and $698 (8-4-6-5 superfecta) with Colony (Ire)

(Statue of Liberty) in fourth. Gentleman Chester (Chester House) reported home

fifth, followed by Americain (Dynaformer), Ready Set (Touch Gold) and a

tailed-off Up to No Good. Expansion (Maria's Mon) was scratched.

Grand Couturier's record now stands at 22-8-0-5 with a bankroll to the tune

of $1,351,385. The six-year-old bay ranks as one of the leading lights in the

East Coast turf division. In addition to dominating last year's Joe Hirsch by 10

1/4 lengths, Grand Couturier captured consecutive editions of the Sword Dancer

Invitational S. (G1) at Saratoga in 2007-08. Last time out, he was bidding to

become the first horse ever to win three Sword Dancers, but he wound up fifth.

Grand Couturier has also placed in four American stakes, including the 2006

Sword Dancer in his U.S. debut and the 2007 Man o' War S. (G1). Prior to coming

to the United States, Grand Couturier flashed talent as a three-year-old in

France. He garnered the Derby du Midi, placed third in the Prix Noailles (Fr-G2)

and finished fourth to eventual Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) winner Rail

Link in the Grand Prix de Paris (Fr-G1).

Bred in Great Britain by Tom Wilson, Grand Couturier sold for only $6,594 as

a yearling at Tattersalls October. He is out of Lady Elgar (Ire) (Sadler's

Wells), who is also the dam of English stakes victress Yaqeen (GB) (Green

Desert). Lady Elgar is a full sister to Desert Fox, third in the 1998 Irish

Derby (Ire-G1) and later a stakes winner in Hong Kong. She is also a half-sister

to multiple Grade 3 scorers Home of the Free (Hero's Honor) and Poolesta (Ire)

(Hero's Honor).

Grand Couturier's third dam, 1976 Test S. (G3) winner and Spinster S. (G1)

runner-up Ivory Wand (Sir Ivor), is the dam of Italian and German champion Gold

and Ivory (Key to the Mint). This is the family of 1999 champion two-year-old

male Anees (Unbridled), Irish highweight Rossini (Miswaki) and multiple Grade 3

hero and noted sire Elusive Quality (Gone West).