NEWS
Gio Ponti bids for Million repeat
Posted: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 6:04 AM
GIO PONTI
Adam Coglianese/NYRA photo
by Mike Curry
Multiple champion Gio Ponti will bid for a repeat victory in the $1-million Arlington Million Stakes (G1) on Saturday at Arlington Park as part of the International Festival of Racing.
The card also includes the $750,000 Beverly D. Stakes (G1) for fillies and mares at 1 3/16 miles and the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes (G1) at 1 1/4 miles for three-year-olds.
Last year, Gio Ponti won the Million to cap a four-race Grade 1 winning streak that cemented the Eclipse Award as champion turf male. His runner-up in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) also nailed down champion older male honors. In addition to the Million, run at 1 ¼ miles on the turf, Gio Ponti won the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Handicap (G1), Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap (G1), and Man o’ War Stakes (G1).
The Tale of the Cat colt was winless in three races to start his five-year-old campaign, posting runner-up finishes in the Tampa Bay Stakes and Manhattan Handicap and a fourth-place finish in Dubai in the Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1). Gio Ponti regained his winning stride in his most recent start with a game victory in the Man o’ War by a neck over Mission Approved.
The 7-to-5 morning-line favorite for the Arlington Million, Gio Ponti will face nine challengers, including a trio who prepped for the Million in Europe.
Group 3 winner Tazeez is winless in four starts this season but has not finished out of the top three, including a third-place finish at Royal Ascot in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Eng-G1) for trainer John Gosden. The six-year-old Silver Hawk gelding was beaten by 1 1/4 lengths by Byword in that race.
Tazeez enters the Arlington Million off a third-place finish in the Princess of Wales’s Sportingbet.com Stakes (Eng-G2) on July 8 at Newmarket.
Summit Surge (Ire) won the Sky Bet York Stakes (Eng-G2) on July 24 at York. A three-time group stakes winner for Luca Cumani, the six-year-old Noverre gelding has won seven of 28 career starts. Multiple group stakes winner Debussy (Ire) has won one of five starts this year and enters off a fourth-place finish in the York Stakes.
The Arlington Million also drew last year’s runner-up Just as Well and multiple Grade 1 winner General Quarters.
Though not offically scratched from the Arlington Million as of Thursdya, multiple Grade 1 winner Marsh Side is not expected to race not boarding a flight bound to Arlington from Southern California earlier in the week.
The Beverly D. Stakes drew what appears to be a well-matched group of ten.
The early favorite for the 1 3/16-mile race, Modesty winner Tuscan Evening (Ire), died of an apparent heart attack while training for the race on August 8 at Del Mar.
Modesty runner-up Éclair de Lune (Ger) continues to seek her first win since joining trainer Ron McAnally’s barn this year. The Marchand de Sable filly is winless in three races this season after winning two of six starts in France.
Treat Gently (GB) enters in top form with wins in the Sheepshead Bay Stakes (G2) and Robert G. Dick Memorial Handicap (G3) in her two most recent starts. Irish Group 3 winner Ave (GB) enters off a runner-up finish in the Dance Smartly Stakes (Can-G2) on July 18 at Woodbine.
The race also drew multiple graded stakes winner Acoma; South African multiple Group 1 winner Gypsy’s Warning (SAf), winner of the Eatontown Handicap (G3) on May 31 for trainer Graham Motion; and multiple stakes winner Pachattack.
Trainer Jonathan Sheppard's Rainbow View, Europe’s champion two-year-old filly in 2008, was scratched from the Beverly D. on Thursday with a tendon injury.
In the Secretariat, Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) third-place finisher Paddy O’Prado stands in the way of Workin for Hops’ attempt to sweep Arlington’s Mid-America Triple. Paddy O’Prado returned to grass after the Triple Crown with dominant wins in the Colonial Turf Cup Stakes (G2) and Virginia Derby (G2).
Workin for Hops finished second in the Virginia Derby, which was sandwiched between wins at Arlington in the Arlington Classic Stakes and American Derby (G2).
Two Notch Road will not compete in the Secretariat and stay at Monmouth Park after suffering a fever.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
August 21, $400,000, 3yo, 1 1/4M, Arlington Park, 3:37 PM CT
| Post |
Horse |
Sire |
Weight |
Jockey |
Trainer |
| 1 |
Paddy O'Prado 3, c. |
El Prado (IRE) |
126 |
Kent Desormeaux |
Dale Romans |
| 2 |
Mister Marti Gras 3, g. |
Belong to Me |
123 |
Eduardo Perez |
Chris Block |
| 3 |
Cherokee Lord 3, g. |
Sir Cherokee |
119 |
Julio Felix |
Charles Livesay |
| 4 |
Wigmore Hall (IRE) 3, g. |
High Chaparral (IRE) |
123 |
Jamie Spencer |
Michael Bell |
| 5 |
Dean's Kitten 3, c. |
Kitten's Joy |
123 |
Julien Leparoux |
Michael Maker |
| 6 |
Two Notch Road 3, g. |
Partner's Hero |
119 |
Michael Baze |
Glenn Thompson |
| 7 |
Workin for Hops 3, g. |
City Zip |
123 |
Francisco Torres |
Michael Stidham |
August 21, $750,000, 3yo & up, f&m, 1 3/16M, Arlington Park, 4:24 PM CT
| Post |
Horse |
Sire |
Weight |
Jockey |
Trainer |
| 1 |
Pachattack 4, f. |
Pulpit |
123 |
Kieren Fallon |
Gerard Butler |
| 2 |
Hot Cha Cha 4, f. |
Cactus Ridge |
123 |
James Graham |
Philip Sims |
| 3 |
Acoma 5, m. |
Empire Maker |
123 |
Jesus Castanon |
David Carroll |
| 4 |
Gypsy's Warning (SAF) 5, m. |
Mogok |
123 |
William Buick |
H. Motion |
| 5 |
Rainbow View 4, f. |
Dynaformer |
123 |
Julien Leparoux |
Jonathan Sheppard |
| 6 |
Eclair de Lune (GER) 4, f. |
Marchand de Sable |
123 |
Junior Alvarado |
Ronald McAnally |
| 7 |
Biased (GB) 4, f. |
Haafhd (GB) |
123 |
Gregory Benoist |
Mikel Delzangles |
| 8 |
Romacaca 4, f. |
Running Stag |
123 |
Michael Baze |
Nick Canani |
| 9 |
Treat Gently (GB) 5, m. |
Cape Cross (IRE) |
123 |
Kent Desormeaux |
William Mott |
| 10 |
Ave (GB) 4, f. |
Danehill Dancer (IRE) |
123 |
Ramon Dominguez |
Roger Attfield |
August 21, $1,000,000, 3yo & up, 1 1/4M, Arlington Park, 5:14 PM CT
| Post |
Horse |
Sire |
Weight |
Jockey |
Trainer |
| 1 |
Marsh Side 7, h. |
Gone West |
126 |
Corey Nakatani |
Neil Drysdale |
| 2 |
Debussy (IRE) 4, c. |
Diesis (GB) |
126 |
William Buick |
John Gosden |
| 3 |
General Quarters 4, c. |
Sky Mesa |
126 |
James Graham |
Thomas McCarthy |
| 4 |
Just as Well 7, h. |
A.P. Indy |
126 |
Julien Leparoux |
Jonathan Sheppard |
| 5 |
Quite a Handful 4, c. |
Mutakddim |
126 |
Tanner Riggs |
Andrew Hansen |
| 6 |
Gio Ponti 5, h. |
Tale of the Cat |
126 |
Ramon Dominguez |
Christophe Clement |
| 7 |
Rahystrada 6, g. |
Rahy |
126 |
Inez Karlsson |
Byron Hughes |
| 8 |
Tajaaweed 5, h. |
Dynaformer |
126 |
Michael Baze |
Daniel Peitz |
| 9 |
Tazeez 6, g. |
Silver Hawk |
126 |
Richard Hills |
John Gosden |
| 10 |
Summit Surge (IRE) 6, g. |
Noverre |
126 |
Kieren Fallon |
Luca Cumani |
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: Alison, Colchester, CT, CO on August 21, 2010 at 01:23 PM
I think today may be General Quarter's time in the sun...
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Posted by: Joe, NY, NY on August 21, 2010 at 10:37 AM
Let's see if Gio can get it done with accomplished horses all carrying 126??? This should be a real indication of his status.
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Posted by: Frank, New Orleans, LA on August 20, 2010 at 04:13 PM
Every one of the European turf horses that are in the Arlington Million. I have seen all of them race in all of their starts in the UK for the 2010 season. In my opinion, Debussy, who is from John Gosden's stable, is the most threatening to Gio Ponti. Gosden also stable's and trains the great race-mare, Dar Re Mi, who won the 09' Yorkshire Oaks and the 2010 Dubai Sheema Classic. Debussy has ran very respectably in all of his 2010 starts. Having won the G3 Huxley Stakes at Chester back in May. Tazeez is another colt that if Gio Ponti isn't on his "A" game that could be a problem. Tazeez has raced the best of the best turf horses from Ireland, the UK, and France. He's coming off of a 3rd place finish at Royal-Ascot in the G1 Prince of Wales's Stakes. Won by France's Byword. In his most recent start. Tazeez again ran 3rd at Newmarket in the Princess of Wales Stakes. Finishing only behind Sans Frontiers and Redwood. But outrunning the great turf colt, Spanish Moon, for 3rd place. Tazeez is definitely an improving sort in 2010. But if the real Gio Ponti shows up? He should become a back to back winner of the Arlington Million. IMO.
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