Jacobson looking forward to Grand National with Mabou

MABOU (Dynaformer), who won Thursday's New York Turf Writers' H. (NSA-G1) at

Saratoga for flat trainer David Jacobson, will be pointed toward a start in the

Grand National (NSA-G1) in Far Hills, New Jersey, on October 22.

Jacobson, best known for his work with claimers on the flat, claimed Mabou

for $30,000 out of a fifth-place finish in a hurdle race on August 4 at Saratoga

and decided to give him another start over the jumps. The move paid off as Mabou

powered clear to win by 5 3/4 lengths at 16-1 in Thursday's race, giving

Jacobson a compelling case to enter him in more hurdle races.

"We're going to point for the Grand National," said Jacobson, who owns the

eight-year-old gelding in partnership with Drawing Away Stable. "It's the

obvious and only race to run him over the hurdles. We'll consider maybe running

him once at Belmont in a non-claiming, 'sprint' race, probably at a mile and a

half (on the flat), just to get a race into him. He ran 21 days back and ran the

best race of his career. If something works, you want to stick to it."

The Turf Writers' Cup was the first graded stakes win for Jacobson, who had

previously never run a horse over the jumps.

"Everyone on the racetrack has been congratulating me," he said. "People I

never speak with. Everybody was rooting for Mabou. (Trainer) Mike Hushion came

over. It's just been really special and so positive."

The 2 3/8-mile Turf Writers' Cup was contested around an oval, with the 2

5/8-mile Grand National to be held on a course Jacobson admits will be more

challenging for Mabou.

"I'd love to run him back (at Saratoga); the way he won yesterday was so

dominating," Jacobson admitted. "(Jockey) Robby (Walsh) didn't really use him,

and even coming back to the winner's circle he was trying to run off. I'm

concerned, but he has a lot of heart and I think he'll be able to handle it. He

ran really well yesterday, and hopefully he'll run like that on October 22. But

that's a long time from now; a lot of things could happen."

Jacobson reiterated that the feat he accomplished on Thursday wasn't always

rare, as his father, Buddy Jacobson, and Oscar Barrera would claim both flat and

steeplechase horses.

"Now it's a big thing, but back in the '60s people did it," Jacobson stated.

"If someone claimed a jumper, it was like someone claimed a flat horse. When I

claimed this horse, it hadn't been done in five years, 10 years -- nobody knows

the last time a jumper had been claimed. I think the last one to do it was Oscar

Barrera. That's what I'm told."