Arlington Million - 13 August 2011

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wangkw
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Arlington Million - 13 August 2011

Postby wangkw » Thu Aug 04, 2011 7:51 am

This year's Man O' War 1st (Cape Blanco), 2nd (Gio Ponti) and 4th (Mission Approved) will all weigh in for this 10f well liked turf race.

Joining Cape Blanco are 2 other european raiders -- Irish-bred Wigmore Hall, last year's Secretariat Stakes 2nd, and the french-bred
Zack Hall, 4th in this year's Grand Prix De Saint-Cloud. Wigmore Hall was respected for the two earlier runs this year...winning by 1/4l
in the G2 Jebel hatta and finished 2&1/4l 3rd behind Presvis in the competitive Dubai Duty Free..both were 9f races and run in March.

Unfancied Tazeez, based in UK, is also likely to try his luck.

Gio Ponti was last year's runner up in this race, one of Emirates World Racing Championship series events before the series was
discontinued after 2005.

Gio Ponti raced 3 starts this year. It was beaten 2&1/4 lengths in Man O' War and finished 1&1/2 lengths 3rd to Mission Approved
in the Manhattan Handicap. But Gio Ponti ceded him 7 lbs in that race.

Gio Ponti won the 2009 Million and romped home in both the 2010 and 2009 Man Ó War.

Gio Ponti is the horse to win ? My feeling Capy's favorite distance is 11-12 f.

This year Sire Of The Year must be Galileo :lol: . His boys and girls have been flushing the racing headlines everywhere they go. Will
Cape Blanco make his father presence felt in Arlington Park this time round ?
Last edited by wangkw on Mon Aug 08, 2011 8:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby wangkw » Mon Aug 08, 2011 10:28 am

Gio Ponti and Cape Blanco had an earlier match this year in the world's priziest 10f Dubai world Cup on dirt. Cape Blanco returned 4th, one place ahead of Gio Ponti but both ferlla were very close to the winner, Victoire Pisa, when the jap mare crossed the line.
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Postby wangkw » Wed Aug 10, 2011 9:56 am

As expected..Cape Blanco and Gio Ponti come up 1,2 favorites in the betting booth. 3rd is Wigmore Hall..the next 3 spots are to
be wrestled among Tajaaweed, Zack Hall and Mission Approved.

Tajaaweed was by Awad, the 1995 Arlington Million winner which passed away few days ago reportedly due to heart attack.

Tajaaweed has just won the 10f G3 Arlington Handicap by 1& 1/2 lengths (and in doing so, ended his 3 years drought). Among
the respected runners he beat in that race is Juniper Pass, which took home the 14f San Juan Capisatrano and the 12f San Lui
Ray recently. Tajaweed carried 118, 4 less than Juniper Pass. But the finish margin of 2 1/2 lengths btw these 2 fella on the line,
IMO, had more than offset the weight counts.
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Postby bdw0617 » Sat Aug 13, 2011 12:39 pm

i really like wigmore hall
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Postby Georgerz » Sat Aug 13, 2011 4:27 pm

Cape Blanco really beat them all.
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Postby wangkw » Sat Aug 13, 2011 5:32 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHaOIsVJ7QI

Cape Blanco scored a ruthlessly dominant triumph...Gio Ponti charged late to earn a 2&1/4 lengths deficit...having
been trapped along the rail well into the home stretch. Rematch ?


7. Cape Blanco (IRE) Jamie P. Spencer 6.20 3.80 3.40
5. Gio Ponti Ramon A. Dominguez 3.40 2.80
3. Dean's Kitten Julien R. Leparoux 7.20

Also ran: 9 - Wigmore Hall (IRE) , 1 - Rahystrada , 2 - Tajaaweed , 8 - Mission Approved , 6 - Proceed Bee , 4 - Zack Hall (FR) , 10 - General Perfect
Last edited by wangkw on Sat Aug 13, 2011 8:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby bdw0617 » Sat Aug 13, 2011 8:03 pm

i cannot put my finger on it, but i just do not think very much on cape blanco. i will never wager on that horse.

I think his win i suppose was more of a lack of class then him being that good. I don't think he is a match for the top flight euros in the BC.. I think even a horse like winchester could give him a run for his money
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Postby wangkw » Sat Aug 13, 2011 8:40 pm

Agreed...only 2 players in this race..Wigmore Hall outclassed...Dean Kitten's I will remember him for 8-9 f on US turf.
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Postby ak1 » Sat Aug 13, 2011 9:06 pm

Given the amount of rain that poured down on Arlington today, delaying the 3rd race, and the rain coming down during the Million, Gio Ponti's performance was quite impressive. He is known to not like soft turf and calling the track "yielding" at the start of the Million was being generous...it was soft. The last two races of the day were pulled off the turf. Gio closed very well and was as game as they come.

Great day at Arlington as always...this track knows how to put on a fantastic day of racing!

Also worth noting...every single Kitten's Joy moved up on the yielding turf: Burn the Mortgage, Banned, and Dean's Kitten. Something to watch going forward.
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Postby bdw0617 » Sat Aug 13, 2011 11:40 pm

i am not entirely convined he doesn't like soft ground, or at least isn't able to tolerate it.

what i really think he doesn't like is cape blanco lol.
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