2011 Manhattan Handicap (G1)

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Date/Track:
6/11/2011, Belmont Park
Post Time:
5:39 PM ET
Distance:
1 1/4 m (Turf)
Age/Sex:
3+ M
Time:
2:06.32

What the Nation is saying about the 2011 Manhattan Handicap (G1)...

Eleven months after nearly knocking off champion Gio Ponti in the Grade 1 Man o’ War, 7-year-old Mission Approved returned to turn the trick Saturday, wiring the field at odds of 21-1 to take the Grade 1, $400,000 Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap at Belmont Park.   Claimed by trainer Naipaul...Read More
Cleared from quarantine at Aqueduct Racetrack, Mrs. John Magnier’s Master of Hounds took a van ride to Belmont Park a little after 6 a.m., and arrived full of himself at his temporary home in trainer John Hertler’s barn.   T. J. Comerford, assistant to trainer Aidan O’Brien, sent the world-trav...Read More
One of the most accomplished racehorses in recent history, Castleton Lyons Farm’s Gio Ponti returns to the turf at Belmont Park on Saturday to run in his third straight Grade 1, $400,000 Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap.   The 139th running of the historic grass race, run at 1 ¼ miles on the...Read More
Shackleford is on target for the Belmont stakes after a solid work this morning over the main track at Belmont Park. Read More
Heading the contenders for the Woodford Reserve Manhattan is reigning Eclipse Champion turf male Gio Ponti. Trained by Christophe Clement for Castleton Lyons Farm, the 6-year-old Tale of the Cat horse has not raced since finishing fifth, beaten less than two lengths, in the Dubai World Cup on March ...Read More
In spite of a sharp six-furlong turf work in 1:14.05 Sunday morning, trainer Tom Bush said he was leaning against running Sullimar Stable’s dual Grade 1 winner Get Stormy in the Grade 1, $400,000 Woodford Reserve Manhattan at 1 ¼ miles on the Belmont Stakes undercard.   The 5-year-old son of St...Read More
Trainer Christophe Clement pronounced reigning Eclipse Champion turf male Gio Ponti's formal preparations for the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Manhattan complete following a six-furlong work in 1:13.24 over the Belmont Park turf course Saturday morning. The 6-year-old son of Tale of the Cat was accompan...Read More
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  • medlocke · My gut tells me that this season is definitely going to be the last hoorah for Gio Ponti. But I really hope Clement schedules his season with either a crack at the Classic on conventional dirt, or the Breeders Cup Turf over a 1-1/2 in mind. Gio Ponti ran a great race for 2nd in last year's B.C. Mile. But he's just never going to have the kind of turn of foot necessary to beat Goldikova over a mile on turf. And likely as not, Richard Hannon will send Canford Cliffs over to America for the Mile this year, too. He sent Paco Boy last year, but Canford Cliffs has an even more devastating turn of foot than Paco Boy did. I know Gio Ponti has struggled at times over 1-1/2 in his career. But even in the races he's lost at that distance, he's always gotten the 1-1/2, and usually finished 2nd at worst with a shot to win. Last year's B.C. Turf field was one of the weakest in years. Which was confirmed when the winner, Dangerous Midge finished stone last of 14 in the Sheema Classic, and the runner-up, Champs Pegasus finished 12th of 14 in the Sheema Classic. Really made the 2010 B.C. Turf form look quite weak. I really do believe that if Gio Ponti had been entered in last year's B.C. Turf? His class would've easily carried him through that race on the day!! TJMO. · 359 days ago ·
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  • medlocke · I do hope that Clement let's Gio Ponti take another shot at the Arlington Million again in 2011? That's really the best turf race in America for drawing some of the better European turf horses, and it kind of allows you to gauge how Gio Ponti might fare against them should Clement decide to take him to the B.C. Turf this year? Likely that Gitano Hernando will be at Arlington this year off of his recent G1 Singapore Airlines International Cup. The 2nd place finisher of that race, Mike De Kock's brilliant race-mare River Jetez, is reportedly being considered for the G1 Beverly D. during the Million meet. But given that she was narrowly beaten by Presvis in the G1 Dubai Duty Free, and narrowly beaten by Gitano Hernando in the G1 SAIC, wouldn't surprise me to see De Kock change his mind about the Beverly D. Stakes and give River Jetez a shot at the Arlington Million herself? JMO. · 359 days ago ·
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Dual Grade 1 winner Get Stormy turned in a six furlong (1:14.14) turf work under jockey Ramon Dominguez at Belmont Park Sunday morning, but plans for the Sullimar Stable representative remain undetermined.“He’s doing great, I just have to figure out where to run him,” said trainer Tom Bush as he gra...Read More
Gio Ponti, the reigning Eclipse champion as top turf male, breezed five furlongs on the turf this morning as he prepares for the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap on Belmont Stakes day.   “Gio Ponti is on course for the Manhattan,” trainer Christophe Clement proclaimed. “He will work...Read More
Two-time turf Champion Gio Ponti had his first work Saturday since a fifth-place finish in the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 26. Originally scheduled for last Sunday, trainer Christophe Clement opted to postpone the move for a week, breezing the 6-year-old a half-mile in company with the Arg...Read More

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