NEWS
Gio Ponti, Einstein headline Arlington Million
Posted: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 7:06 PM
GIO PONTI
Benoit & Associates photo
by Steve Bailey
Multiple Grade 1 winners Einstein (Brz) and Gio Ponti headline an international field of nine entered in the Arlington Million Stakes (G1) on Saturday at Arlington Park.
The 1¼-mile turf race is the centerpiece of the suburban Chicago track’s International Festival of Racing, which also includes the Beverly D. (G1) and Secretariat (G1) Stakes.
The winner of the prestigious event not only will receive an automatic invitation to run in the Japan Cup (Jpn-G1) in late November but also a spot in the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series.
Gio Ponti, installed as the 5-to-2 morning-line favorite, has won his previous three starts, all in Grade 1 races, this season for owner Castleton Lyons and trainer Christophe Clement.
The four-year-old Tale of the Cat colt was fifth in his 2009 debut in the Strub Stakes (G2) on Santa Anita Park’s synthetic Pro-Ride surface but has been perfect in three races since he returned to grass.
Gio Ponti’s three-start unbeaten streak includes the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Handicap (G1) on March 7, the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap (G1) on June 6, and the Man o’ War Stakes (G1) on July 11.
Overall, Gio Ponti has won eight of 13 career starts and bankrolled $1,545,800 in earnings.
Einstein, who finished fifth in last year’s Arlington Million, has won two of four starts this season—one on the grass at Churchill Downs and one on the synthetic Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita.
Following a third-place finish in the Donn Handicap (G1) on January 31 in his 2009 debut, he shook off the setback to reel off back-to-back victories in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) on March 7 and the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes (G1) on May 2 at Churchill Downs—the second year in a row he captured the Woodford Reserve.
Trained by Helen Pitts-Blasi, the seven-year-old Spend a Buck horse, the second choice on the morning line at 4-to-1, has won 11 of 26 career starts and earned $2,673,924.
Presious Passion has won three of his previous four starts and enters the Arlington Million off consecutive victories in the Monmouth Stakes on June 13 and the United Nations Stakes (G1) (for the second straight year) on July 4.
The six-year-old Royal Anthem horse, trained by Mary Hartmann, already has matched his win total from last season, when he won three of 11 starts. He has two second-place finishes in the two starts he did not win this season.
The field also includes Grade 1 winner Mr, Sidney and Grade 3 winner Just as Well, who won the 1¼-mile Arlington Handicap (G3) on the turf on July 11. Among the international entries are Italian classic winner Cima de Triomphe and 2009 Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) runner-up Gloria de Campeao, winner of the Singapore Airlines International Cup (Sin-G1) on May 17 at Kranji Racecourse.
Steve Bailey is deputy news editor of THOROUGHBRED TIMES
