NEWS
Gio Ponti rebounds in Man o’ War
Posted: Saturday, July 10, 2010 5:29 PM
GIO PONTI
Adam Coglianese/NYRA photo
For video of the Man o' War Stakes, click here.
by Steve Bailey
Trainer Christophe Clement knew it was only a matter of time before dual champion Gio Ponti found his mojo.
The five-year-old Tale of the Cat horse overcame a dawdling pace by a 53.50-to-1 shot and powerfully rallied in the final furlong to snap a five-start winless skid with a neck victory in the $600,000 Man o’ War Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park on Saturday.
Gio Ponti, honored as champion older male and turf male last season, entered the 1¼-mile turf race winless in three starts this season, although he finished second in both the season-opening Tampa Bay Stakes in February and Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap (G1) in June in his previous outing. He won last year’s Man o’ War en route to the two Eclipse Awards.
"The grass is green, and even greener now,” Clement said. “I'm delighted with Gio Ponti. Everyone made a big deal of him getting beaten the last time, [but] I never had a doubt that the horse was the leader of his division and I'm delighted with the way he ran today.
“The race was completely against him; they walked in front, he was last, but he's good enough to be versatile and win the race.”
The victory was the fifth career Grade 1 victory for Gio Ponti and first since last year’s Arlington Million Stakes (G1).
Multiple Grade 3 winner Mission Approved hustled right to the front on Saturday and then crawled through fractions of :52.27 for a half-mile, 1:18.07 through six furlongs, and 1:42.30 through a mile as Gio Ponti raced at the back of the eight-horse field.
Mission Approved continued to lead inside the final furlong before Gio Ponti, under jockey Ramon Dominguez, moved to the center of the track in midstretch and dug in with determination to win in the final strides, covering the distance in 2:16.20 on firm turf.
“I was a little concerned about the way the race was going to unfold,” Dominguez said. “I knew there wasn’t a whole lot of speed, and that there were a lot of horses with similar running styles to mine. As the race unfolded, I was a little concerned about the slow pace, but I was very happy with the way he was traveling.
“Turning for home, I felt it was a matter of getting a little racing luck. When he split horses, at that point, I felt a little more confident, and that he would get there. The five horse [Mission Approved] ran an excellent race. I am very happy, not only for myself but for the horse.”
Mission Approved held for second under jockey Jose Espinoza, followed by Expansion another half-length back in third.
Clement said the victory should set Gio Ponti, who won for the tenth time from 20 career starts, up well for the rest of the season.
“He's back winning and we'll go for the Arlington Million or the Pacific Classic [Stakes (G1)], one of the two. Now we can enjoy it a little bit, see how he comes out of it. His well-being is the main thing. As long as the horse is doing well, we'll be back in one of those two races."
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Steve Bailey is deputy news editor of Thoroughbred Times
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: Jack, Baltimore, MD on July 10, 2010 at 07:24 PM
You can't keep a great horse down forever. Gio Ponti's class is exactly what got him back in the winners circle today at Belmont Park. The way Gio Ponti likes to come from off of the pace, then make a big late charge and slingshot past horses. It was amazing that he could get home first off of the "turtle like" early fractions that were run by the Man O' War Stakes field. But as they say, class does tell!!
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