Bob Le Beau wins New York Turf Writers Cup; Divine Fortune euthanized

"Bittersweet," trainer Elizabeth Voss said as she stood in the Saratoga winner's circle watching her Bob Le Beau take his victory lap after winning the New York Turf Writers Cup, a Grade 1, $150,000 steeplechase.

Bob Le Beau surged to the lead over the final fence and kicked clear when champion Divine Fortune, who had led throughout, fell at the last of the 10 fences. The gelding was vanned off and euthanized back at the barn due to a shoulder fracture.

Voss knows the feeling all too well. One year ago, her Makari came into the same race as a major contender and suffered a fatal injury at the same fence.

"It's reminiscent of last year for us," Voss said. "It's never a great feeling. You don't want anyone to get hurt."

Pennsylvania-bred Divine Fortune, who raced as a homebred for William Pape and Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard, was the Eclipse Award champion steeplechase horse of 2013. He won or placed in 10 Grade 1 steeplechases in a career that began in 2006, bankrolling nearly $830,000.

Bob Le Beau ($14.40), seventh through the early going under Jack Doyle, made an eye-catching move leaving the backstretch the last time to range up alongside Divine Fortune in second approaching the final stretch. He inherited the lead when Divine Fortune fell at the last fence and continued to draw clear from the field to win by 7 1/4 lengths. He finished the 2 3/8 miles in 4:35.09.

Schoodie finished second, 3 3/4 lengths ahead of Charminster. Demonstrative, the 2014 divisional Eclipse champion and a two-time winner of the Turf Writers Cup, was never a factor and departed the race by skipping the last fence.

This was the third win in the last four starts for Bob Le Beau, an Irish-bred gelding who won the Grade 2 National Hunt Cup Hurdle Stakes earlier this year. He came into the Turf Writers off a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 A.P. Smithwick Memorial Steeplechase in early August at Saratoga.

Voss is the daughter of the late flat and steeplechase trainer Tom Voss, who saddled Petroski to win the 1996 Turf Writers Cup.

"We still have Petroski out in the meadow, actually," Elizabeth Voss said. "It's amazing to be back here now, a year later. This has been a tough meet up here, so it's nice to get a win."