Grand upset by Couturier in Sword Dancer

Marc Keller's GRAND COUTURIER (GB) (Grand Lodge) closed up the rail in the

stretch and outfinished the heavily favored English Channel (Smart Strike) to

win Saturday's $500,000

Sword

Dancer Invitational S. (G1). Third when making his U.S. bow in the 2006

Sword Dancer, the French stakes winner earned his first U.S. win in his fifth

attempt and returned healthy mutuels of $33.20, $7.50 and $4.30 as the 15-1

fourth choice in the eight-horse field.

Content to rate in last early, Grand Couturier trailed far behind Fri Guy

(Theatrical [Ire]), who established suicidal fractions of :22 3/5, :46 2/5 and

1:11 1/5 in the 1 1/2-mile affair over Saratoga's firm inner turf. English

Channel, the 3-5 favorite, rated in midpack and loomed boldly on the outside as

the front runners began to weaken through a mile in 1:37, but Trippi's Storm (Trippi)

got first run on the four-time Grade 1 winner and stormed out of the far turn

with the lead. English Channel remained a threatening presence on the far

outside as Grand Couturier swung to the rail at the half-mile pole, and the

Robert Ribaudo-trained winner began to advance on the front pair. Grand

Couturier and jockey Calvin Borel hit the front about a furlong from the wire

and surprisingly kicked clear of his rivals, hitting the wire with a

three-length advantage over English Channel. He finished in 2:26 2/5.

"Around the first turn, I knew they were going pretty good, so I knew I had a

little shot," Borel said. "When I called on him, he went by them like they were

standing still. It looked like I had a lot of horse. He kept the momentum going.

He did well here last year, and the trainer said he had been doing good

(recently). He told me to save every inch I could and don't get off the fence."

"Everything set up perfectly today," echoed Ribaudo. "Calvin on the

fence...could this be possible? We reached out to Calvin. We thought (Grand

Couturier's) last couple of races wouldn't attract a top top rider. I know (Borel)

is going to be trying, and his style of riding fits this horse."

Grand Couturier was exiting a sixth in the Bob Harding S. at Monmouth Park.

He finished third when making his 2007 debut in the Fort Marcy H. (G3) two

starts back in late April.

The four-year-old colt keyed the $84.50 exacta with English Channel, who

yielded $2.70 and $2.10. Trippi's Storm wound up another 2 3/4 lengths back at

nearly 5-1 and paid $3. The trifecta totaled $303.50, and the 7-5-2-6

superfecta, with 45-1 longshot Crown Point (Honor Grades) in fourth, was $4,418. Always

First (GB) (Barathea [Ire]), Embossed (Ire) (Mark of Esteem [Ire]), Fri Guy and

Ramazutti (Honor Grades) completed the order of finish. Better Talk Now (Talkin

Man) was withdrawn.

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

the 2004 Tattersalls October sale and is out of Lady Elgar (Ire) (Sadler's

Wells), who is also the dam of the three-year-old filly Yaqeen (GB) (Green

Desert), winner of this year's Virginia S. at Yarmouth, England, and the unraced

two-year-old filly Lady's Quest (Rainbow Quest). The 10-year-old mare's granddam,

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 same female family of 1999 champion two-year-old Anees (Unbridled) and

multiple Grade 3 hero Elusive Quality (Gone West), sire of champion

three-year-old colt Smarty Jones.

Grand Couturier increased his bankroll to $497,390 from an 11-5-0-3 line, and

he provided the 56-year-old Ribaudo with his first Grade 1 victory.

"Couldn't have come at a better time. My wife, my daughter, my son-in-law and

my new grandson are all here," the conditioner said.