Gio Ponti seeks Man o' War three-peat

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From NTRA.com: Gio Ponti enters this year’s Grade 1 Man o’ War Stakes – to be run Saturday at Belmont Park – much the same way he came into last year’s Man o’ War. His connections hope he comes out of it the same way too – that is, with a victory.

Actually, Gio Ponti will seek his third consecutive triumph in the $600,000 Man o’ War when he takes on familiar foe Mission Approved and five others in the 1 3/8-mile race scheduled for the inner turf course. Gio Ponti is seeking to become the first horse on this circuit to win any Grade 1 turf race for three consecutive years.

Last year, Gio Ponti came into the Man o’ War off a loss as the favorite in the Manhattan Stakes. He finished second, beaten one-half length by stablemate Winchester. Last month, Gio Ponti finished third in the Manhattan, 1 1/4 lengths behind loose-on-the-lead longshot winner Mission Approved in a race run over yielding turf. Disappointed at the time, Christophe Clement, the trainer of Gio Ponti, is undeterred coming into the Man o’ War.

“I still think that even though he got beat in the Manhattan the horse ran a very good race,” Clement said Thursday. “The course condition killed me.”

http://www.ntra.com/content/display/news/NDg0MDU=

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1. Smile Sprint brings together Cup contenders

From NTRA.com: Two of the last three winners of Calder’s $350,000 Smile Sprint Handicap, Benny the Bull and Big Drama, went on to earn Eclipse Awards as sprint champions in 2008 and 2010. Orientate accomplished the same feat in 2002. Both Big Drama and Orientate also won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint during their championship seasons.

Yet despite such an impressive roster of past winners, the six-furlong Smile Sprint has yet to achieve Grade 1 status. The Grade 2 Smile is, however, a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race and on Saturday will bring together another impressive field of speedsters, one of whom will earn an automatic berth in this year’s edition of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Among the leading candidates to win the 2011 Smile is Apriority who, like stablemate Big Drama, is trained by David Fawkes. Apriority may start as a slight favorite in the Smile against the likes of 120-pound highweight Noble’s Promise, Giant Ryan (119);, This Ones for Phil (116) and Irrefutable (115). How’s Your Halo (115), runner-up to Benny the Bull in the 2008 Smile, and Royal Tricon (113) complete the lineup.

Apriority will carry 118 pounds while trying to make Fawkes the first trainer to win back to back editions of the Smile as well as the first to capture three renewals of the race. Fawkes also sent out Forty One Carats to set the stakes record of 1:08.95 seconds in 2000.

http://www.ntra.com/content/display/news/NDg0MDQ=

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3. Giant Ryan wins the Smile Sprint....

hasn't been posted anywhere else yet so no links.

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2. Cape Blanco Denies Gio Ponti in Man o' War

From bloodhorse.com: European invader Cape Blanco, making his United States debut, denied champion Gio Ponti a third straight victory in the $600,000 Man o’ War (gr. IT) when he held him off in the stretch to win by about two lengths July 9 at Belmont Park.

Read more: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/63940/cape-blanco-denies-gio-ponti-in-man-o-war#ixzz1ReJQh5ef

Gio Ponti made a good run and came up a little short. - tgs

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4. Sassy's Image wins the GI Princess Rooney at Calder...

Nice win for Dale Romans.

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5. Video for a couple of races....

Man O War - http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/flashplayer/flash-popup.aspx?tid=BEL&rno=9&de=D&rdt=07/09/2011&cc=USA

Smile Sprint - http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/flashplayer/flash-popup.aspx?tid=CRC&rno=11&de=D&rdt=07/09/2011&cc=USA

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6. Video for today's stakes races....

Hollywood Gold Cup - http://www.ntra.com//videos/index/view/OTUy

Princess Rooney - http://www.ntra.com//videos/index/view/OTQ5

Delaware Oaks - http://www.ntra.com//videos/index/view/OTQ1