Castle Gandolfo flattered by Italian 2000 Guineas

Castle Gandolfo's chances in the Kentucky Derby received a boost Wednesday when Dupont, who had finished third place behind Castle Gandolfo in the Fosters-International Trial at Lingfield, won the Group 2 Premio Parioli (Italian 2000 Guineas) at the Capannelle in Rome.

Dupont, the 7-1 Bill Haggas-trained son of Zafonic just got up to beat Fisich by a nose while getting the mile in 1:37.80 on good ground. The 5-2 favorite Salselon was sixth in the field of 18.

The Group 2 Premio Regina Elena (Italian 1000 Guineas) went to the 6.40-1 Sadowa. Ridden by Mirco Demuro and trained by Bruno Grizzetti, she traveled the mile in 1:38.50 to defeat Sweetsoutherngirl by half a length.

Keltos bounced back from a dull eighth-place finish in the Dubai World Cup to take the one-mile Group 2 Prix du Muguet at Saint-Cloud on Wednesday. The Gary Tanaka-owned 6-5 favorite came with a late rush under Olivier Peslier to defeat Cornelius by two lengths to win for the fifth time in nine career starts. Trained by Carlos Laffon-Parias, the 4-year-old son of Kendor had beaten Cornelius by a nose in the Group 3 Prix Perth in his last start of 2001 and is a candidate for the big European weight-for-age miles this summer and fall. His time on good ground was 1:39.90.

* On Friday at Newmarket, Kutub seeks his fifth win in a row in the 1-1/2-mile Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes. The Godolphin-owned 5-year-old son of In The Wings will face High Pitched, also looking for his fifth straight score, recent Group 3 winner Zindabad, and stablemate Marienbard, who is coming off a fast closing fourth in the Dubai Sheema Classic.