Elliot Mavorah’s INTERPATATION (Langfuhr) looked beaten when 4-5 favorite Gio
Ponti (Tale of the Cat) swept to the front in midstretch of Saturday’s $600,000
Joe
Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational S. (G1), but the 43-1 longest shot on the
board came again along the inside to post a massive upset at Belmont Park.
Interpatation snapped Gio Ponti’s four-race winning streak while plowing through
1 1/2 miles in 2:41 1/5 on the soft turf, the slowest time in the 33-year
history of the Joe Hirsch.
The Bobby Barbara charge was running in the Joe Hirsch for the fourth
straight year, having finished fourth in 2006, third in 2007 and a distant
second in 2008. Few could have
envisioned that he would improve on those results. Winless for the past two
years, Interpatation had also failed to hit the
board in seven starts since his runner-up effort in the 2008 Joe Hirsch.
Almost as surprising was the manner of his first-ever Grade 1 victory: never
having been on the early lead in his 49-race career, the seven-year-old gelding
was given an astute front-running ride by new rider Robby Albarado.
Interpatation broke alertly, and when no one else wanted to go forward,
Albarado allowed him to stride on and secure the early lead. Strolling along
through pedestrian fractions of :26, :54 1/5, 1:22 1/5 and 1:48 3/5, he enjoyed
a one-length lead over Al Khali (Medaglia d’Oro). Gio Ponti was reserved in
fourth early, but rallied turning for home and appeared to ready to inhale
Interpatation as the pacesetter got 1 1/4 miles in 2:14 2/5.
As expected, Gio Ponti collared Interpatation, put his head in front, and
promised to inch clear. Interpatation was not about to give up so easily and
kept plugging away on the fence. When Gio Ponti’s momentum stalled,
Interpatation launched his improbable rally, and ground out a 1 3/4-length
score.
“It was great — great!” Barbara enthused. “I just loved the way he looked
going down the backside. In front of me, over here, he was just galloping on the
lead and Robby just said he was having fun doing it. I was waiting for him one
day to pick his head up and do it right. He did it right, on the perfect day.
This horse made $700,000 the hard way, and now he’s over a million in one day! I
don’t know what’s next for him.”
“I had never ridden him before,” Albarado said. “Bobby said in the paddock,
‘He’s a stayer.’ He said a mile and a half is his distance, he ran his best race
here last year, when he was second. I had the intention of being forwardly
placed, and I ended up on the lead, galloping, in a canter. At every point, I
had plenty of horse. When Gio Ponti ran up to me, I thought, ‘Gee, maybe I can
get second.’ But he didn’t get away from me, and my horse hit his stride.”
Interpatation rewarded his faithful backers with mutuels of $89.50, $14.40
and $4.30 while keying the $230.50 exacta and $536 trifecta (2-1-8). Gio Ponti,
a clear second by 1 3/4 lengths, returned $2.80 and $2.10.
“(Gio Ponti) handled the going well,” jockey Ramon Dominguez said. “He just
got a little tired at the end.”
“Second best in that one, but I thought he ran a very good race — he really
tried,” Christophe Clement, Gio Ponti’s trainer, said. “The idea is to go from
there to the Breeders’ Cup (on November 7 at Santa Anita), use the race and move
on.”
Telling (A.P. Indy) crossed the wire in third, a half-length in front of
defending champion Grand Couturier (GB) (Grand Lodge), but was subsequently
disqualified and placed fourth. Telling had lugged in at the top of the stretch,
prompting a claim of foul from Grand Couturier’s rider, Alan Garcia. The
stewards ruled that Telling had interfered with Grand Couturier and accordingly
demoted him.
Grand Couturier, who had crushed Interpatation by 10 1/4 lengths in last
year’s Joe Hirsch, gave back $2.10 to show as the 5-2 second choice. Al Khali
checked in fifth, followed by Musketier (Ger) (Acatenango). Winchester
(Theatrical [Ire]), part of a coupled entry with Gio Ponti, was scratched, as
were Presious Passion (Royal Anthem) and Ready’s Echo (More Than Ready).
As Barbara had mentioned, Interpatation’s biggest career victory made him a
millionaire, boosting his bankroll to $1,156,630 from his 50-6-4-11 record. The
dark bay had previously captured three stakes — the 2005 Palm Beach S. (G3) and
two editions of the Larry R. Riviello President’s Cup S. at Philadelphia Park
(2006-07). He has also placed in nine stakes over the course of his career.
Aside from his two Joe Hirsch placings, Interpatation has finished third in such
events as the Sword Dancer Invitational S. (G1), Bernard Baruch H. (G2) and Mac
Diarmida H. (G2). He was coming off a fourth to Soldier’s Dancer (Lost Soldier)
in the P.T.H.A. President’s Cup S. at Philadelphia Park.
Bred by Larry Cassaday and Jack O. Thompson in Kentucky, Interpatation was
purchased by his current owner for $31,000 as a Keeneland November weanling.
He is out of the multiple stakes-winning and Grade 2-placed Idealistic Cause (*Habitony),
whose youngest offspring is an unnamed yearling colt by Officer. With his fourth
dam being Grade 1 heroine Fascinating Girl (Sir Ivor), Interpatation hails from
the family of three-time Canadian champion Financingavailable (Kiridashi).