HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Gio Ponti, who won Eclipse Awards as both the top older male and top male turf horse in 2009, is back in south Florida and will in all likelihood launch his 2010 campaign next month in the Tampa Bay Breeders' Cup, trainer Christophe Clement said on Wednesday.
Gio Ponti flew to south Florida from the West Coast and arrived at Clement's Payson Park stable on Tuesday evening.
Native Ruler will not be defending his title Saturday in the $50,000 King Cotton at Oaklawn. Instead, he is targeting a March return to the races after being freshened, said his trainer, Chris Richard.
"We last ran him back in September," he said. "After that race we turned him out, gave him 90 days off. I don't anticipate him being ready to go until the Hot Springs in March. If we're not ready, then the Count Fleet in April."
The Grade 3, $200,000 Connally Breeders' Cup Turf at Sam Houston Race Park on Saturday night could serve as Pool Play's springboard to the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap. He was one of 16 horses entered Wednesday in the 1 1/8-mile Connally, the richest race of the meet, although only 14 can run.
Pool Play is the 119-pound starting highweight following a season in which he won the Grade 3 Durham Cup at Woodbine. He will break from post 11 under jockey Patrick Husbands. Trainer Mark Casse hopes the race will be the start of a big season for Pool Play.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The big question surrounding Eightyfiveinafifty entering the Whirlaway Stakes on Feb. 6 will be his ability to handle two turns. On Wednesday, trainer Gary Contessa gave the speedy 3-year-old colt a trial run around two turns by working him seven furlongs over Aqueduct's inner track.
Last week mixed satisfaction and disappointing in the Fair Grounds barn of trainer Steve Margolis. Cash Refund won the Gaudin Stakes on Saturday's card, and that morning, Risen Star hopeful Stay Put turned in a solid five-furlong workout. But Visavis had to be scratched from Saturday's Tiffany Lass Stakes after getting cast in her stall, and, even worse, promising debut winner What's New had to be put down after sustaining a leg injury in a half-mile work Jan. 14.
Lecomte Stakes winner Ron the Greek appeared to have exited his victory last Saturday at Fair Grounds in good physical condition, and is likely to make his next start in the Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 20, trainer Tom Amoss said Wednesday.
"He came out of the race fine," said Amoss. "There's a natural progression of races here at the Fair Grounds, with the Risen Star next, so obviously we like the idea of staying where we are and getting a little more distance."
ARCADIA, Calif. - When Acclamation drew the outside post in a field of 11 for Saturday's $500,000 Sunshine Million Classic at Santa Anita, all trainer Don Warren could do was shake his head in disappointment.
Acclamation, who placed in four stakes last year, was a wide third in an optional claimer here on Jan. 15, and Warren fears the same scenario could develop in the Sunshine Millions Classic, which is run over 1 1/8 miles for California-breds and Florida-breds.
Tempted to Tapit, an impressive maiden winner at Aqueduct on Jan. 18 and a Whirlaway nominee, arrived in south Florida on Wednesday morning and will most likely be pointed to the Grade 3, $225,000 Sam Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 13, trainer Steve Klesaris said.
Tempted to Tapit, a gelded son of 2004 Wood Memorial winner Tapit, won a two-turn, one-mile allowance race by 11 1/2 lengths, earning a 100 Beyer Speed Figure. Klesaris felt the Whirlaway was too close back to Tempted to Tapit's maiden win.
Penn National Race Course is continuing to refuse to permit horses owned by Michael Gill to race, pending results of the necropsies that have been performed on two Gill-owned horses who broke down last week at the Grantville, Pa., track.
"Until we have a meeting to review those results and have a chance to talk to Mr. Gill about them, we are declining to accept entries of his horses," Chris McErlean, vice president of racing at Penn, said Wednesday. "I would expect that meeting to happen before this week is out."
NEW ORLEANS - It is not the typical profile of a Lecomte Stakes winner. maiden race at Hoosier Park, allowance race at Delta Downs, stakes at Remington Park. But it worked for Ron the Greek, who rallied strongly behind a fast pace and won the by 1 1/2 lengths.
