Dubai travel plan a go for Gio Ponti

Trainer Christophe Clement confirmed Monday that Gio Ponti would be on the flight that was scheduled to depart for Dubai from south Florida on Tuesday to compete in the $10 million World Cup on March 26.

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“Gio Ponti worked well on Sunday and after conferring with the owner we decided to send him back to the World Cup,” Clement said late Monday morning. “We were a bit concerned about the fact he has not had a prep for the race. It’s an ambitious challenge to run in the World Cup without a prep but the idea was to keep him in training this year to run in that race and I’m just hopeful the fact he hasn’t had a prep doesn’t penalize him too much.”

Gio Ponti finished fourth in the 2010 World Cup.

Fly Down puts in bullet work

Fly Down, who is also expected to be on the flight to Dubai to compete in the World Cup, turned in his final U.S. prep on Monday, breezing a bullet half-mile in 48.20 seconds for trainer Nick Zito at Palm Meadows.

Another notable name on Monday’s tab at Palm Meadows was Arch Traveler, winner of a nine-furlong allowance race here last month, who posted the morning’s fastest five-furlong drill, covering the distance in 1:00.20. Arch Traveler, who is trained by Jimmy Jerkens, is a possible candidate for the Grade 1 Florida Derby on April 3.