Shadwell Turf Mile Top Contenders
by Bodog Racebook | Oct 3 2011
The $600,000 Gr. 1 Shadwell Turf Mile will be run this Saturday, Oct. 8, at
Keeneland Race Course on its opening weekend. A Win and You’re In event for the Breeders’ Cup Mile and boasting the biggest purse of the meet, the one-mile race has attracted top talent such as Gio Ponti, Get Stormy and Court Vision.
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Stay on top of all the Breeders’ Cup top contenders with Bodog’s 2011 guide to the races.
***Prepping for another shot at the
Breeders’ Cup Mile is 2010 champion turf horse Gio Ponti. A son of Tale of the Cat, Gio Ponti won this race last year – in fact, the last time he was in the winner’s circle – with a late-running effort. But the 6-year-old champion has not dominated the competition like he has in the past. In his 2011 debut in Dubai, he came in fifth in the Dubai World Cup. His next two starts were at Belmont Park, where he finished third in the Gr. 1 Manhattan Handicap and then runner-up in the Gr. 1 Man o’ War Stakes. In his latest outing, he was again second in the Gr. 1 Arlington Million Stakes at Arlington Park on Aug. 13. A career 27-11-10-1, Gio Ponti has earned $5,689,800 for owner Castleton Lyons.
Lightly raced so far in 2011 is Get Stormy, a Stormy Atlantic colt whose last race was a runner-up finish in the Gr. 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap in August. He has already captured a pair of grade 1 wins this year – the Gr. 1 Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes on April 15 and the Gr. 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes on May 7. Trained by Thomas Bush for Sullimar Stable, the 5-year-old Get Stormy has earned $1,196,197 from 24 starts and is 10-3-3.
Also looking for his first trip to the winner’s circle in 2011 and a ticket to the
2011 Breeders’ Cup World Championships is Court Vision. This 6-year-old son of Gulch has yet to crack the top three this year but has a solid chance in the Shadwell Turf Mile. He began his campaign at Keeneland in April, coming in fourth in the Gr. 1 Maker’s Mark Mile. A less-than-stellar ninth-place finish came next in May in the Gr. 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes. A month later, he turned in a fourth-place performance in the Colonial Turf Cup Stakes and then turned in a strong but ultimately disappointing seventh in the Gr. 1 Woodbine Mile Stakes on Sept. 18. Court Vision, now trained by Dale Romans for Spendthrift Farm, won the Shadwell Turf Mile in 2009; he has earned $2,666,658 and is 30-8-4-4.
Also expected for this Breeders’ Cup
Win and You’re In event is Wise Dan.
Now you’re ready to bet on the Shadwell Turf Mile!
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