Gio Ponti’s Breeders’ Cup path defined, as the experienced horse goes to Shadwell Turf Mile before the big race
Trainer Christophe Clement prepares to saddle his 6-year-old horse, Gio Ponti, in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile on 5 November, 2011, at Churchill Downs, despite Gio Ponti’s dismal performance all season long, which has gone so far without a win.
The son of Tale of the Cat, out of Chipeta Springs by Alydar, Gio Ponti predominantly has a dirt pedigree, but he has run on turf throughout his career more often than not, and this year Gio Ponti has had three starts on turf and one on synthetic, but victory
eluded him on each occasion.
After a magnificent 2009 season on grass, where he ran for 4 wins on the trot, Gio Ponti hasn’t been able to perform that consistently for Christophe Clement in the past two seasons.
Although, Clement is adamant to run him on grass, and eyeing the Breeders’ Cup Mile on turf is the proof of it, before the big race, Gio Ponti needs a prep race, currently pointed to the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland on 8 October, 2011.
Castelton Lyons owned Gio Ponti will be looking to set the record straight with the high flying Goldikova, who downed Gio Ponti in the last year edition of the Breeders’ Cup Mile, to whom he was second last year.
Cape Blanco, who retired recently after incurring a slab fracture in his knee, tormented Gio Ponti in his last two starts, and never gave enough to challenge him in both races where Gio Ponti rolled in second.
Beginning with the Grade 1 Man O’ War Stakes at Belmont Park and then the Grade 1, $1 million Arlington Million at Arlington Park.
Gio Ponti will be facing with the likes of Sidney’s Candy and Get Stormy in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile, and Dance and Dance, the English invader who has primarily run in Mile Handicaps this season, most of them in the U.K.
He turned in a big effort this season when he finished second to Side Glance in the Group 3 Sovereign Stakes, but his ability to down Gio Ponti like Cape Blanco did is questionable.
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