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2011 Man O' War Stakes (G1)

Date/Track:
7/9/2011, Belmont Park
Post Time:
5:17 PM ET
Distance:
1 3/8 m (Turf)
Age/Sex:
3+ M
Time:
2:14.06

What the Nation is saying about the 2011 Man O' War Stakes (G1)...

Who should be Champion Turf Male?Read More
  • Show All 23 Comments
  • footlick · Mary Z.- I'm not sure he likes soft turf, which might be why they really haven't run him outside of Cal much. If the turf was to his liking, I certainly think he could have taken the Sword Dancer. The fact that he won the Pacific Classic, though has opened up even more options for him in California, so they may opt for a turf and synthetic year. · 531 days ago ·
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  • LAZMANNICK · I wouldn’t hold a dismal finish in the Charlestown race against any horse. The track is essentially a bull ring, much like Fairplex, with very sharp turns. The track was also sloppy and sealed. It’s easy to see that he didn’t like that race based on how dismal he ran and yet he bounced back and won his next five in a row. As for the Kilroe Mile, Acclamation isn’t a miler and is zero for two in that particular race. He’s a true router who likes to set a controlled pace and when he can do this is very tough to beat. In fact the only way to beat him in a route when they are planning on taking him to the front is to challenge right from the beginning. · 531 days ago ·
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Cape Blanco made his trans-Atlantic voyage a winning one Saturday afternoon, taking command in deep stretch and easily holding off favored Gio Ponti to take the 53rd running of the Grade 1, $600,000 Man o' War Stakes at Belmont Park.Read More
  • Show All 5 Comments
  • Rossington · I knew that if Cape Blanco cape back into somewhere near his form of the Irish Champion Stakes that it would be very difficult for Gio Ponti to beat him in this race. Cape Blanco, at his best, is a very talented, very legitimate G1 horse for sure. This was really a nice win for Cape Blanco to add to his two G1 win's in the Irish Derby and Irish Champion Stakes. Plus his G2 Dante Stakes win over Workforce in the UK. Beating Gio Ponti in the G1 Man O' War Stakes will look really good on Cape Blanco's resume' when he finally goes to the breeding shed. I think Aidan O'Brien should send Cape Blanco next to the G1 Arlington Million while he has the horse in America. The field in the Arlington Million would be quite a bit deeper than he faced in the Man O' War today, because the Million usually draws a large European contingent, too. But seeing Cape Blanco pull 2 or 3 length's clear of Gio Ponti today at Belmont, I have no doubt that the Arlington Million would be another very winnable G1 turf stakes in America for Cape Blanco. TJMO. · 711 days ago ·
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  • cigar · They need to put him back in one miler turf events... he'd still be a killer. · 711 days ago ·
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THIS RACE IS GOING TO BE GREAT AND LETS SEE IS GIO PONTI WINS IT
Reigning turf champion Gio Ponti will be chasing history Saturday when he tries to become the first horse to win three editions of the $600,000 Man o' War Stakes, the final Grade 1 of Belmont Park's spring/summer meet.Read More
  • Show All 4 Comments
  • yukichan · It will be great to see Cape Blanco....I give the edge to Gio Ponti loves the course, loves he distance. · 714 days ago ·
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  • icyhotboo · On a firm course he looks way the best even though I believe he has lost a step. · 714 days ago ·
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Jamie Spencer is looking forward to travelling across the Atlantic at the weekend to take the ride on Cape Blanco, who will be trying to stop Gio Ponti winning the Grade 1 Man O'War Stakes for a third time.Read More
  • Show All 3 Comments
  • medlocke · It totally depends on Cape Blanco, IMO?? The Cape Blanco that galloped Rip Van Winkle and Twice Over completely off of their feet at Leopardstown back in September, when he won the G1 Irish Champion Stakes by 5+ length's is more than capable of beating Gio Ponti. But not the Cape Blanco that we've seen so far during the 2011 season. That finished 4th on his seasonal debut in the G1 Prix Ganay, and finished a well beaten 6th behind Canford Cliffs and Goldikova in the G1 Queen Anne Stakes. Jamie Spencer has to take into account that Gio Ponti has won the last 2 running's of the Man O' War Stakes, and he really loves the track surface at Belmont Park. When Cape Blanco won the Irish Champion Stakes, he went to straight to lead, and galloped out those 10f as strongly as I've seen any horse run 10f on turf from the front end in a long time. My guess is that Spencer will try to do much the same with Cape Blanco in the Man O' War, and put the pressure on Gio Ponti to try and come catch him. The same way he pressured Rip Van Winkle and Twice Over to try and catch him at Leopardstown. But having seen both of Cape Blanco's run's in 2011, I give the edge in this race to Gio Ponti. TJMO. · 715 days ago ·
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  • rossington · A horse that's beaten Workforce in the Dante Stakes, Midas Touch and Jan Vermeer in the Irish Derby, Rip Van Winkle and Twice Over in the Irish Champion Stakes, and that's ran 2nd to Harbinger in arguably the most impressive King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes win ever is absolutely capable of beating Gio Ponti if he bring's that legitimate G1 form that he possesses to Belmont with him? But Cape Blanco will have to be at his best, because Gio Ponti has always proven to be tough to beat at Belmont. At their best, I really don't think there's a great deal between these 2 on official ratings? Gio Ponti's also been very good throughout his career over synthetic surfaces, too. He's raced 5 times on synthetics, never finishing worse than 5th. Which was in the the 2008 Strub Stakes and the 2011 Dubai World Cup. But bear in mind, Cape Blanco, in his first and only career start on a synthetic surface finished 4th in the same Dubai World Cup that Gio Ponti finished 5th in. That's the only race between the two, head to head, to measure them by. · 715 days ago ·
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Champion Male Turf Horse and 2009 Champion Older Male Gio Ponti will try for his third victory in the Grade 1, $600,000 Man o’ War Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park, the final Grade 1 on the Belmont spring/summer meet calendar. Read More
  • medlocke · I've been a big fan of Gio Ponti for years. That said, I'm afraid that Gio Ponti may end up being the most talented horse to never win a Breeders Cup race, unless he get's it done this year at Churchill Downs? Beaten by Zenyatta in the 09' Classic. Beaten by Goldikova in the 09' Turf-Mile. Gio Ponti has the misfortune of their being no 1-1/4 turf race of any kind at the Breeders Cup. Because 1-1/4 is the distance that best suites him, IMO. It's not likely he'd find trying to win the Turf-Mile any easier this year. With not only Goldikova, but Canford Cliffs also likely for the race. The Classic is an option, but who knows how Gio Ponti will take to conventional dirt? I would suggest that the B.C.Turf might be his best option this year? But I think his ability to win that race over 1-1/2 will depend on the depth of the Euro contingent entered in the race this year? TJMO. · 716 days ago ·
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  • medlocke · If Gio Ponti win's the Man O' War Stakes on Saturday? It will only be because Cape Blanco hasn't found his peak form yet in 2011? IMO, the Cape Blanco that galloped Rip Van Winkle and Twice Over completely off of their feet, and won the G1 Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown going away by 5+ lengths would be too much for Gio Ponti, IMO. · 715 days ago ·
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Al Khali, fourth over yielding turf in the Woodford Reserve Manhattan on June 11, will take another shot at Grade 1 glory when he competes in Saturday’s Man o’ War, Leana Willaford, assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, confirmed Sunday morning. Owned by Brous Stable, Al Khali won the Grade 2...Read More
Mission Approved, the 21-1 upset winner of the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap on June 11, is “50/50” to compete in the Grade 1 Man o’ War on July 9, trainer Naipaul Chatterpaul said Friday morning.   “Basically, [the Man o’ War is] where we’re pointing,” said Chatterpaul, who owns ...Read More
MSG Plus, in partnership with The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), will present live coverage of Belmont Park’s Grade 1 Prioress on Monday, July 4 and Grade 1 Man o’ War on Saturday, July 9.   NYRA television personalities Jason Blewitt, Eric Donovan, Richard Migliore, Andy Serling, an...Read More

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