Post-Race Analysis:
Saratoga Springs, NY - September 2, 2005: Hirapour (Ire) captured
the $150,000 Grade I New York Turf Writers Cup Handicap overtaking
longshot Three Carat at the last fence to win by 3 ¾-lengths. It
was another 1 3/4-lengths back to the fast-closing Party Airs in
third. The time for the 2 3/8ths miles run over a yielding course
that included 10 fences was 4:24.90, well off the track record of
4:12.04 established by Hokan in 1998 and tied by It's A Giggle over
a rock-hard course in 2001.
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Hirapour leads (left-to-right) Party
Airs, Three Carat and Understood at the finish of the Grade
I New York Turf Writers' Cup Handicap.
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Hirapour carried high weight of 158 pounds, spotting his eight
rivals anywhere from four to 18 pounds. The 6-5 favorite rated well
off the early pace set by European import Say What You See (Ire),
who jumped poorly in his American debut. 2003 New York Turf Writers
Cup winner Praise the Prince assumed the lead after one circuit
of the course with Mauritania and Paradise's Boss pressing the pace
until Xavier Aizpuru urged Paradise's Boss to the lead as the field
entered the final turn. Danielle Hodsdon made a big move on Three
Carat around the turn to gain the lead at the top of the stretch
while Matt McCarron and Hirapour rallied into second place. Hirapour
out-jumped Three Carat at the final fence and then drew away from
his foe on the run-in.
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Praise The Prince leads (left-to-right)
Say What You See (obscured), Paradise's Boss, Mauritania,
Three Carat and Understood at the seventh fence of the New
York Turf Writers' Cup Handicap.
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The Turf Writers was Hirapour's fifth Grade 1 win and his second
of the year. The 9-year-old son of Kahyasi (Ire) took a big step
forward in his quest to repeat as the Eclipse Award-winning steeplechase
horse, as the winner's share of $95,520 brought his 2005 earnings
$208,025, more than any other steeplechaser this year, and boosted
his career earnings to $581,426. Hirapour was bred by the Aga Khan
in Ireland.
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Praise The Prince leads (left-to-right)
Paradise's Boss ans Mauritania at the third fence of the New
York Turf Writers' Cup Handicap.
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Hirapour's victory held special meaning for winning trainer Doug
Fout and jockey Matt McCarron, both of whom had faced hardship earlier
in the Saratoga meet. Fout's father, Paul, the only person to train
a filly steeplechase champion, died on August 16th. McCarron broke
his arm in an opening day spill and just recently returned to the
saddle.
Hirapour gave Fout his first Turf Writers Cup victory, 30 years
after his father won the race with the filly Life's Illusion.
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Last year's Eclipse Award winner Hirapour
(Ire) in the paddock before the start of the the New York
Turf Writers' Cup Handicap.
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"I can't explain how much it means to me," Fout said. "The horse
got hurt in the A.P. Smithwick and things didn't go his way. I don't
want to give a lot of excuses, but it wasn't our day. Then, I lost
my Dad in this meet. With this horse coming back and doing what
he did, and with my father winning this race in 1975, it means a
lot."
"We expected a lot more speed," Fout said. "But the ground was
a little more yielding than we thought. We had to play catch up
and move sooner. I've been riding the horse for the past three days
and I knew he could get there. If he were close at the last fence,
they would have to run with him."
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Three Carat and jockey Danielle Hodsdon
finished a game second in the New York Turf Writers'
Cup Handicap.
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For McCarron, the son of former jockey and television analyst Greg
McCarron and the nephew of Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron, the
victory made his season. The win was emotional for McCarron and
trainer Doug Fout. McCarron broke his left arm in a spill in the
first race of the meet. He had surgery two days later and immediately
began physical therapy, hoping to return in time for the Turf Writers.
"It is certainly a fairy tale ending, that's for sure," McCarron
said. "It looked to be a bleak and kind of washed-up meet. I rode
a true champion today. He didn't like the ground; it was too soft
for him. The 158 pounds got to him. It was all heart that got him
past the wire in front. He gave it all."
Hirapour will start twice more this year, in the Breeders' Cup
and Colonial Cup.
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Owner Ken Ramsey, trainer Tom Voss, assistant
trainer Todd Wyatt and jockey Cyril Murphy in the paddock
before the start of the the New York Turf Writers' Cup Handicap.
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Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard, who has won this race a
record 11 times, almost notched his 12th with Three Carat, who was
making his first start at Saratoga this season.
The Turf Writers was originally scheduled for August 31st, but
the remnants of Hurricane Katrina forced it to be re-scheduled.
The complete order of finish for the Grade I New York Turf Writers
Cup Handicap is set forth below.
Click here for
Daily Racing Form Past Performance charts of the New York Turf Writers'
Cup Handicap.
Results:
|
FP
|
Horse
|
lbs
|
Jockey
|
Trainer
|
Owner
|
|
1
|
Hirapour (Ire) |
158 |
McCarron |
Doug Fout |
Eldon Farm |
|
2
|
Three Carat |
140 |
Hodsdon |
Jonathan Sheppard |
|
|
3
|
Party Airs |
146 |
Murphy |
Thomas H. Voss |
Ken & Sarah Ramsey |
|
4
|
Understood |
154 |
Dubbin |
Richard Valentine |
Whitewood Farm |
|
5
|
Paradise's Boss |
150 |
Aizpuru |
Jack Fisher |
Mrs. Henry F. Stern |
|
6
|
Mulahen (GB) |
142 |
Massey |
Katherine Neilson |
Mrs. S.K. Johnston, Jr. |
|
7
|
Praise The Prince (NZ) |
158
|
Brown
|
Sanna Hendriks |
Augustin Stable |
|
8
|
Mauritania |
140 |
Z.Miller |
Richard Valentine |
Whitewood Farm |
|
9
|
Say What You See (Ire) |
146 |
Bentley |
Martin Pipe |
Calvin Houghland |
| Winner: |
Hirapour (IRE) - Bay Gelding, April 28, 1996
Bred by His Highness the Aga Khan in Ireland |
| Pedigree: |
Kahyasi (IRE) - Himaya (IRE) , by Mouktar
|
| Pgm |
Horse |
Win |
Place |
Show |
Total WPS
Pool: $167,718 |
| 8 |
Hirapour (IRE) |
4.50 |
3.10 |
2.60 |
|
| 6 |
Three Carat |
|
10.40 |
6.20 |
|
| 7 |
Party Airs |
|
|
7.50 |
|
| Wager Type |
Winning Numbers |
Payoff |
Pool |
Carryover |
| $2 Exacta |
8-6 |
61.00 |
177,543 |
|
| $2 Trifecta |
8-6-7 |
617.00 |
149,346 |
|
| Pgm |
Comment |
| 8 |
Hirapour (IRE): reserved early, took over
when ready, led over last, drew clear |
| 6 |
Three Carat: in hand early, led between fences,
stayed on gamely |
| 7 |
Party Airs: outrun early, wide run final turn,
good finish far outside |
| 1A |
Understood: inside trip, inside run last turn,
weakened flat run |
| 4 |
Paradise's Boss: close up under wraps, brief
lead, tired |
| 3 |
Mulahen (GB): had no rally |
| 5 |
Praise the Prince (NZ): made pace, tired after
ninth |
| 1 |
Mauritania: tired |
| 2 |
Say What You See (IRE): left course before
10 |
| Footnotes
|
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HIRAPOUR (IRE) was reserved
early, moved up willingly when asked, took over nearing last
fence and drew clear under a drive. THREE CARAT was in hand
early, rallied into the ninth jump, led between fences on
the final turn and stayed on gamely to the finish. PARTY AIRS
was outrun early, rallied wide and finished well on the far
outside. UNDERSTOOD raced inside, put in a run along the inside
on the last turn and weakened after the final fence. PARADISE'S
BOSS raced close up under wraps, led briefly at the ninth
fence and tired. MULAHEN (GB) had no rally. PRAISE THE PRINCE
(NZ) made the pace and tired after the ninth fence. MAURITANIA
tired. SAY WHAT YOU SEE (IRE) left the course before the tenth
fence.
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Pedigree of Winner:
Click
here for Hirapour's 5-cross pedigree.
Pedigrees compliments of Del
Mar Pedigree Query
Previous Winners:
| YEAR |
FIRST (Age) |
JOCKEY |
lbs. |
SECOND (Age) |
lbs. |
THIRD (Age) |
lbs. |
| 1970 |
El Martirio (6) |
Plain |
138 |
Wustenchef (5) |
151 |
Shadow Brook (6) |
155 |
| 1971 |
Soothsayer (4) |
Fishback |
153 |
Predominio (7) |
141 |
Shadow Brook (6) |
162 |
| 1975 |
Life's Illusion (4) |
Quanbeck |
145 |
Soothsayer (5) |
161 |
Artic Joe (8) |
148 |
| 1976 |
Happy Intellectual (10) |
Elser |
152 |
Life's Ilusion (5) |
160 |
Strait and True (6) |
155 |
| 1977 |
Happy Intellectual (11) |
Aitcheson |
152 |
Naval Person(5) |
143 |
Cassamayor(7) |
150 |
| 1978 |
Happy Intellectual (12) |
Martin |
152 |
Popular Hero (5) |
148 |
Leaping Frog (5) |
157 |
| 1979 |
Leaping Frog (6) |
Christinson |
159 |
Tan Jay (7) |
150 |
Canadian Regent (5) |
143 |
| 1980 |
Zaccio (4) |
McWade |
157 |
Running Comment (6) |
142 |
Leaping Frog (7) |
152 |
| 1981 |
Running Comment (7) |
McWade |
143 |
Codicioso (6) |
144 |
Red Invader (8) |
142 |
| 1982 |
Zaccio (6) |
Hendriks |
161 |
Give a Whirl (5) |
146 |
Running Comment (8) |
145 |
| 1983 |
Double Reefed (7) |
Cushman |
161 |
Sugar Bee (5) |
135 |
Census (5) |
148 |
| 1984 |
Flatterer (5) |
Fishback |
164 |
Census (6) |
155 |
Double Reefed (8) |
158 |
| 1986 |
Le Sauteur (7) |
Houghton |
157 |
Twas Ever Thus (7) |
15o |
Eremite (6) |
146 |
| 1987 |
Chief Of The Clan (4) |
Lawrence |
148 |
Gateshead (8) |
154 |
Chammsky (8) |
152 |
| 1988 |
Rio Claro (5) |
Morris |
152 |
Steve Canyon (8) |
162 |
Jive With Five (4) |
146 |
| 1989 |
Double Bill (6) |
Guessford |
142 |
Uptown Swell (7) |
152 |
Polar Pleasure (7) |
149 |
| 1990 |
Double Bill (7) |
Guessford |
146 |
French Hill (5) |
154 |
Peer Prince (5) |
134 |
| 1991 |
Yaw (9) |
Smart |
145 |
Moonstruck (8) |
148 |
Double Bill (8) |
149 |
| 1992 |
Yaw (10) |
Smart |
146 |
Three Bells For Me (5) |
140 |
Make Azilion (8) |
142 |
| 1993 |
Warm Spell (5) |
Lawrence |
161 |
Castlwworth (7) |
142 |
Darby Sky (6) |
145 |
| 1994 |
Mistico (8) |
Thornton |
168 |
Cheering News (7) |
142 |
Lonesome Glory (6) |
168 |
| 1995 |
Lonesome Glory (7) |
B.Miller |
166 |
Mistico (9) |
160 |
Rowdy Irishman (6) |
142 |
| 1996 |
Petroski (6) |
O'Brien |
160 |
T.V. Gold (6) |
140 |
Prime Legacy (7) |
138 |
| 1997 |
Bisbalense (8) |
Kingsley |
142 |
Confidente (8) |
140 |
Lonesome Glory (9) |
156 |
| 1998 |
Hokan (5) |
Clancy |
142 |
Romantic (6) |
143 |
Sundin (7) |
142 |
| 1999 |
Campanile (5) |
B. Miller |
148 |
Willstown |
138 |
Romantic (7) |
152 |
| 2000 |
Ninepins (13) |
Kingsley |
150 |
Campanile (6) |
160 |
Allgrit |
138 |
| 2001 |
It's A Giggle |
B. Miller |
142 |
Canta Ke Brave |
152 |
Praise The Prince (NZ) |
160 |
| 2002 |
Zabenz (NZ) |
Thornton |
146 |
Double Leaf (GB) |
140 |
Flat Top |
150 |
| 2003 |
Praise The Prince (NZ) (8) |
Brown |
150 |
Tres Touche (6) |
148 |
Indispensable (9) |
142 |
| 2004 |
Tres Touche (7) |
Bentley |
152 |
Cherokeeinthehills |
138 |
Barzulu (NZ) |
144 |
Post-Race Analysis | Results
| Pedigree of Winner | Previous
Winners
