Strike Midnight might finally get job done in Gio Ponti

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Strike Midnight hopes to end a frustrating 3-year-old campaign for his connections when he runs in Thursday’s inaugural $125,000 Gio Ponti Stakes at Aqueduct.

The Gio Ponti, named for the multiple Eclipse champion trained by Christophe Clement, is restricted to 3-year-olds and scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on turf. It is one of three stakes on a Thanksgiving Day program highlighted by the Grade 3 Fall Highweight Handicap for sprinters. There also is the $100,000 Furlough Stakes for 2-year-old filly sprinters.

First post Thursday is 11:50 a.m. Eastern. The Gio Ponti goes as race 3 (12:50 p.m.).

Strike Midnight, a son of Smart Strike, won a first-level allowance in June to begin his 3-year-old campaign. Subsequently, he competed in five consecutive stakes, getting beat by 1 1/2 lengths or less in four of them, including a half-length loss to longshot Dragon Bay in the English Channel last month at Belmont.

“Really frustrating,” trainer Leah Gyarmati said. “Every race he ran in I think he could have won with a little more luck, a little more room.”

He did lack room when third to Camelot Kitten in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame at Saratoga and when fifth to him in the Grade 3 Hill Prince, beaten 1 1/4 lengths. In the English Channel, Strike Midnight was last early and rallied widest of all in the stretch.

Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Strike Midnight from post 3.

There are only six horses entered for turf in the Gio Ponti. Voluntario and Summer Revolution were entered in the event the race is transferred to dirt.

Gio Ponti was the champion male turf horse in 2009 and 2010. He won 11 stakes and earned $5.3 million. Italian Charm will represent the stallion Gio Ponti in this race. Italian Charm, trained by Christophe Clement, is out of the nine-time stakes-winning mare Voodoo Dancer.

Italian Charm has won three straight races, though he was fortunate to win a second-level allowance at Parx Racing in his last start. It looked like he was going to finish second until Vinceremos ducked in sharply in the stretch and unseated his rider. Italian Charm’s other two wins came at Tampa Bay Downs.

Catapult was stuck behind horses in the English Channel. When he got clear in upper stretch, he looked like a winner only to be run down by both Dragon Bay and Strike Midnight.

Hunter O’Riley and Toughest ’Ombre complete the field

Eloquent Riddle shortens up

Eloquent Riddle, third in the Grade 3 Tempted at a mile three weeks ago, heads a field of six 2-year-old fillies entered in the $100,000 Furlough at six furlongs.

Eloquent Riddle, a daughter of Harlan’s Holiday trained by Chad Brown, won her debut going 6 1/2 furlongs at Belmont Park. She breaks from the outside post.

Come Dancing, a 3 1/2-length winner of a Nov. 6 maiden race at Belmont going 6 1/2 furlongs, is the other main protagonist in the field. Yorkiepoo Princess, Alice B Winkle, Star Studded, and Whistle Stop complete the lineup.