Horse Racing: Gio Ponti looking good for Arlington Million
Defending Champion, Gio Ponti, is going to try to repeat his success from last year again today as he races against a field of 9 at Arlington Park for the million dollar grade I race. Gio Ponti has held well on enough but his statistics of the last few races aren’t too encouraging. Gio Ponti is still champion material though. He finished first in only one of his past 6 races, but in all but one he finished no further behind than 2nd place. In one of those races he finished 2nd to Zenyatta.
His last two starts at Belmont were close to perfect. He finished second in the Manhattan G1, but his luck wasn’t working out for him. He was bogged down in heavy and slow traffic, but after he did push out, he took second place just barely behind winner and stable mate Winchester.
His last start was a victory for him, perhaps a sign that Gio Ponti has fought off the string of tough luck that has been holding him down. He might not have won many of his last few runs but that is hardly reason enough to count him out. Even his second place finishes were nothing short of truly magnificent. If anyone can make Arlington Million history and become the first back to back winner, it’s Gio Ponti.
The 5-year old has matured significantly since 2009, a fact made obvious when we look at average times he did in races then and since. Gio Ponti used to push the hardest in the middle of the races. He used to take the lead and keep it with his remaining energy. This year the trend is a bit different. Gio Ponti has been conserving his energy till later and pushing near the finish. He has been exerting himself when he really had to and that shows maturity in the horse that already is the clear punters favourite.
Of course Gio Ponti can’t simply just prance to the finish. It’s a deep field this year, even if some contest that it’s not as deep as last year. Gio Ponti would be starting from the 6th stall against 8 challengers. He drew the same sixth position last year when he won the race.
Marsh Side was scheduled to be at the race but was scratched thinning the field a bit. Marsh Side would have made things more interesting, but that doesn’t mean the Arlington Million is a done deal for Gio Ponti. Last year’s Arlington second place finisher, ‘Just As Well’ is making a return again this year. He isn’t coming off a winning campaign but neither is our favourite.
Trainer, Jonathan Sheppard, and, Jockey, Julien Leparoux, aboard would make any horse a worthy opponent and Just As Well isn’t just any horse. His handlers want to set things right from last year and have their eyes set on the big prize. “He just let Gio Ponti get away from him that day and was coming on”, Jonathan said. He acknowledged that Gio Ponti won’t be a pushover but Just As Well was doing very well and they will give him another shot at the race and the defending champion.
Another name that deserves a mention would have to be Tazeez. His third place finish against the Juddmonte duo, ‘Byword’ and ‘Twice Over’ at the Royal Ascot proved his abilities. While he didn’t win that race, his run is considered by many to be better than anything that Gio Ponti has delivered lately, even in his first place Belmont finish. Another of Trainer, John Gosden’s, horses running today would be Debussy. Between Debussy and Tazeez, the popular vote goes to Tazeez and for good reason. Tazeez has been more consistent while the 4-year-old Debussy is somewhat of an unsure bet. Gosden still thinks that Debussy has just as good a shot at Arlington as Tazeez. “He’ll be happier at Arlington,” Gosden said. “That course should suit him well”.
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