ELMONT, N.Y. -- A change of equipment helped get the desired result for Gufo as he was able to grind out a one-length victory in Monday’s $150,000 Grand Couturier Stakes at Belmont Park. Equipped with blinkers for the first time, Gufo was able to stay in contact with the field better than he had been in his previous races. Though last of six early, he was only 6 1/2 lengths behind the dawdling pace established by Tide of the Sea. Around the turn, Gufo advanced five wide under Joel Rosario and though he ran a tad erratic after making the lead, Gufo won by a length. Tide of the Sea held second by a neck over Shamrocket. Sadler’s Joy was fourth, followed by Red Knight and Kinenos. Fantasioso, Epic Bromance, Moon Over Miami and Burning Bright scratched. Gufo had to withstand an objection from Jose Ortiz, the rider of fourth-place finisher Sadler’s Joy, who alleged interference in upper stretch. But that objection -- which accompanied a stewards’ inquiry -- was dismissed. Gufo, after making the lead, did come in a path and then out a path, but the stewards did not believe it affected the outcome of the race. Having seen his horse drop 17 lengths off the early pace only to come with a strong finish to be beaten four in the Grade 1 Manhattan, trainer Christophe Clement put blinkers on Gufo for this race. The blinkers, combined with a slow pace, helped keep Gufo within 6 1/2 lengths of Tide of the Sea after a half-mile in 51.03 seconds. “He’s last, but he’s only five or six lengths last,” Clement said. “It was a slower pace but even so … at least it makes him a bit more handy.” Rosario said Gufo was “a little more focused with the blinkers. I know it was a slow pace, but he was more up into the race a little bit. It seemed like it helped.” Rosario acknowledged Gufo came in a bit after making the lead but said he quickly corrected the horse. “He always likes to look around a little bit,” Rosario said. Tom Albertrani, trainer of Sadler’s Joy, said his jockey, Jose Ortiz, told him, “He would have been second had Rosario not come over.” Gufo, a son of Declaration of War owned by Otter Bend Stables, covered the 1 1/2 miles in 2:28.73 over good ground. He improved his record 6-2-3 from 11 starts. He will be pointed to the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga on Aug. 28.