Gio Ponti: aiming to regain Arlington Million title at expense of Cape Blanco
PICTURE: EquiSport Photos/Matt WooleyArlington oddsmakers favourBallydoyle pair
USA: The locals in Chicago reckon Aidan O'Brien could be in line for a memorable Grade 1 double on Saturday after both Cape Blanco and Treasure Beach were installed as short-priced favourites on Arlington's indicative morning line following Tuesday's post-position draw.
Although Arlington's popular International Festival of Racing has not been shown in Britain in recent seasons, Racing UK will this year broadcast all three Grade 1 events live in a special dedicated broadcast.
Cape Blanco, the mount of Jamie Spencer, is rated just a 9-5 chance to land his second US Grade 1 victory after being drawn in gate seven of a ten-runner field for the Arlington Million.
Locals oddsmakers just prefer the four-year-old to his Man o'War Stakes victim Gio Ponti (drawn five), whom they make a 2-1 shot as he bids to repeat his 2009 success. The dual US turf champ was narrowly beaten last year by Debussy.
The Michael Bell-trained Wigmore Hall, on the 8-1 mark, will start from box nine ashe bids to go one better than 2010, when he was runner-up in the Secretariat Stakes.
Christophe Soumillon rides France's Zack Hall, the third overseas runner.
Elsewhere on the card, Cape Blanco's Ballydoyle stablemate Treasure Beach, easily the highest-rated European horse ever to contest the race, is only a 2-1 chance for the Secretariat Stakes for three-year-olds.
The Irish Derby winner will be ridden by Colm O'Donoghue in the $400,000 event, in which he starts from gate three of ten. Rivals include the Aga Khan's Group 3 winner Ziyarid.
O'Brien has won both races before, Powerscourt having won the Million in 2005, five years after Ciro took the Secretariat.
Gerard Butler's Pachattack, a Grade 3 winner at Arlington in May, has been drawn eight for the third Grade 1 event on Saturday's card, the Beverly D.
The Mike de Kock-trained River Jetez (Soumillon) joins the British visitor in a $750,000 event where the ex-French Stacelita, making her debut for New York-based Chad Brown, is the morning-line favourite at 3-1 under reignign US champion jockey Ramon Dominguez.
Owner Martin Schwartz, who has nicknamed Stacelita ‘The Queen', has won the Beverly D twice before, with Angara (2005) and Gorella (2006).
Stacelita will start from the inside gate in an 11-runner field also featuring the ex-Luca Cumani-trained Fantasia and Simon Callaghan's Dubawi Heights, who is seeking to complete a four-timer.
Saturday's Grade 1 fields at Arlington
All races live on RUK; prices refer to track's indicative morning line
Arlington Million (Grade 1) 1m2f, turf, 3yo+ ($1 million)
1 Rahystrada Sheldon Russell 12-1
2 Tajaaweed James Graham 12-1
3 Dean's Kitten Julien Leparoux 30-1
4 Zack Hall Christophe Soumillon 10-1
5 Gio Ponti Ramon Dominguez 2-1
6 Proceed Bee Chris Emigh 50-1
7 Cape Blanco Jamie Spencer 9-5
8 Mission Approved Jose Espinoza 6-1
9 Wigmore Hall Hayley Turner 8-1
10 General Perfect Garrett Gomez 50-1
Beverly D Stakes (Grade 1) 1m1½f, turf, 3yo+ f/m ($750,000)
1 Stacelita Ramon Dominguez 3-1
2 Check The Label Julien Leparoux 20-1
3 Fantasia Rajiv Maragh 6-1
4 Upperline James Graham 20-1
5 Dubawi Heights Joel Rosario 10-1
6 River Jetez Christophe Soumillon 4-1
7 Cheetah Garrett Gomez 9-2
8 Pachattack Florent Geroux 10-1
9 Eclair De Lune Junior Alvarado 12-1
10 Romin Robin Jozbin Santana 30-1
11 Never Retreat Shaun Bridgmohan 10-1
Secretariat Stakes 1m2f, turf, 3yo ($400,000)
1 Newsdad Joel Rosario 10-1
2 Ziyarid Christophe Lemaire 10-1
3 Treasure Beach Colm O'Donoghue 2-1
4 Crimson China Rajiv Maragh 15-1
5 Casino Host Ramon Dominguez 8-1
6 Suntracer Shaun Bridgmohan 15-1
7 Banned Garrett Gomez 3-1
8 Derby Kitten Julien Leparoux 15-1
9 Willcox Inn Robby Albarado 9-2
10 L'Aiglon Florent Geroux 50-1
Comments