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TUNE IN TO “OFF TO THE RACES”  ON THE VIRGINIA RACEHORSE NETWORK SATURDAY MORNINGS AT 11 AM.

 

NORTHERN VIRGINIA

“SPORTSTALK 610”

AM 610—WTFX

FOX SPORTSRADIO

 

VIRGINIA BEACH*

“THE GAME”

FM 102.1—WXTG

FOX SPORTSRADIO

 

HAMPTON*

“THE GAME”

AM 1490—WXTG

FOX SPORTSRADIO

 

RICHMOND

“ESPN RADIO AM 950”

AM 950—WXGI

ESPN SPORTSRADIO

 

CHARLOTTESVILLE

“ESPN RADIO AM 840”

AM 840—WTKR

ESPN SPORTSRADIO

 

MARTINSVILLE

“ESPN RADIO AM 1160”

AM 1160—WODY

ESPN SPORTSRADIO

 

ROANOKE

“NEWS TALK RADIO”

AM 810—WPIN

NEWSTALK RADIO

 

BLACKSBURG

“ESPN RADIO AM 1430”

AM 1430—WKEX

ESPN SPORTSRADIO

 

*In Tidewater, “Off to the Races” airs on a one-hour delay at Noon.

EMAIL NICK HAHN AT nick@virginiaracehorse.com

“OPTIMISM IS A HORSE IN THE STARTING GATE”

THE VIRGINIA RACEHORSE NETWORK
Text Box: VIRGINIA DERBY ORDER OF FINISH POST - HORSE Jockey/Trainer #7 - GIO PONTI Garrett Gomez/Christophe Clement Opportune colt stalked the pace and stubbornly denied Court Vision in what many are saying is the best Virginia Derby yet. #4 - COURT VISION Kent Desormeaux/William Mott Mott missed his fourth Virginia Derby by a nose. In the twin turf tests, Court Vision ran evenly with Sailor’s Cap in the Colonial Turf Cup stretch and now Gio Ponti in the Virginia Derby. #8 - SAILOR’S CAP Alan Garcia/James Toner Spotting an early margin and running 4-wide most of the way, the Colonial Turf Cup winner failed to make a late move on the dueling duos in deep stretch. #1 - YOUR ROUND James Lopez/Mark Hubley Again, Hubley’s horse was best of the rest after dropping back going up the backstretch and passed tired rivals in the stretch #9 - SOUTHWEST (VA) John Velazquez/Rodney Jenkins Virginia bred couldn’t go on versus the tough trio but manage to cash a $45,000 check for their efforts. Local horsemen can benefit from a high dollar stakes without winning it. #2 - OLD MAN BUCK Robbie Albarado/Kenneth McPeek Briefly took the lead at the quarter pole after a rail pacesetting trip but then weakened. Still could develop into a solid miler. #5 - BALTIMORE BOB Horacio Karamanos/Carlos Garcia From first in 2007 to last in 2008 for Karamanos. Baltimore Bob finally lost on the firm going when placed against credible adversaries.

GIO PONTI SHINES IN SUMMER CLASSIC

The margin of Gio Ponti’s win the 11th Virginia Derby was a shiny nose.

GIO PONTI STUBBORN IN VIRGINIA DERBY WIN

By Nick Hahn

 

The $750,000 Virginia Derby (gr. IIT) at Colonial Downs Saturday may have been the most exciting in the eleven runnings of the event, not as much as Colonial’s signature race but as the several little races that were run within it.

 

Jockey Garrett Gomez aboard Gio Ponti took the lead in upper stretch and held off a brief run by Colonial Turf Cup winner Sailor’s Cap and a more determined effort by Court Vision.  At the wire, the stubborn colt by Tale of the Cat out of Chipeta Springs stonewalled Court Vision’s inside shot at the wire with Kent Desormeaux aboard to prevail by a nose in 2:02.22.

 

Court Vision paid $5.20, 3.60 and 2.10 as the winner.  Court Vision was $4.40 and 3.00 in second and favorite Sailor’s Cap showed for $2.20.  Your Round, Southwest, Old Man Buck and Baltimore Bob completed the order of finish.  Budge Man and El Sultry Sun were scratched.

 

Going down the stretch for the first time in the mile and quarter turf event for three year olds, Gomez stalked the moderate to slow pace ahead of Sailor’s Cap and behind frontrunning Baltimore Bob and Old Man Buck.

 

“It was keeping an eye on both,” said Gomez after the race.  “I knew that they were going slow.  I didn’t want to give my horse too much to do.  He places himself well and he’s got a nice flowing stride.  When I placed myself early on in the race, fairly close, I wasn’t about to take that away from him.  The idea was to keep an eye on Sailor’s Cap and whereabouts he was.”

 

The Virginia Derby win was the second for Gomez and the first for trainer Christophe Clement and owned Castleton Lyons.  Gomez won the 2006 Virginia Derby with Go Between.

 

Gio Ponti has now won both of his starts in 2008, adding the Virginia Derby to his $150,000 Hill Prince (gr. IIIT) win in June.  Bred in Kentucky by Kilboy Estate, Inc, bay colt is now 4 of 5 lifetime and gathered $640,800 in career earnings.
Text Box: KITTEN’S JOY #1—MIDWATCH Edgar Prado/Rodney Jenkins Prado won this on the lead and won the Virginia Oaks closing from well back. This 9-year old Sea Hero repeats Old Nelson win. #8—HUNTING PRINT Kent Desormeaux/Hamilton Smith Made a move on the frontrunner. Desormeaux starts his stakes runnerup streak for the day. #2 - MINT SLEWLEP Malcolm Franklin/Robbie Bailes Marshall Dowell’s Da Hoss winner ran well on the turf again. Text Box: VIRGINIA OAKS #10 - I LOST MY CHOO Edgar Prado/Philip Serpe Prado had a tiring Julia Tuttle measured in a similar manner to his Elmont win at Belmont. #7 - NAMASTE’S WISH Kent Desormeaux/Bill Mott Mott and Desormeaux second again with a strong effort, but no match for the winner #2 - JULIA TUTTLE Horacio Karamanos/Ferris Allen With the slow opening quarters, it looked like Allen and Karamanos was going to pull off a shocker.

Led by assistant trainer Ben Colebrook (jacket, white pants), Garrett Gomez heads to the Virginia Derby turf aboard Gio Ponti, who didn’t mind having a blanket on a warm day on his way to the winner’s circle.

GIO PONTI, BEFORE AND AFTER