After a successful trip to Indiana yesterday, we head to New York for today’s QPW. We are on the turf here for the seventh race at Aqueduct. This is the Gio Ponti Stakes, with three-year-olds racing a mile on the inner turf course.
Belmont at the Big A Race 7 – Gio Ponti Stakes
We have 14 horses entered for today’s race on the inner turf course here but up to 10 horses will run today. The rail is out 27 feet today, which means there is less room to run. As a result, the 11 Vesting (5/1 ML), 12 Mission North (20/1 ML) and the 13 Main Beach (8/1 ML) need scratches from the main portion of the field to get in. The 14 Silver Satin (5/2 ML) is entered for the main track only.
On the outside is the favorite, the 10 Royal Majesty (7/2 ML). He comes into today’s race after finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational last month. Previously he was also fourth in the Belmont Derby here at Aqueduct. He was not far from the winner in each of his last three races and has a significant back class advantage here.
We have a few horses that had trouble in the Grade 3 Saranac at Saratoga at the end of August. One horse is the 2 Take Me To Church (5/1 ML) who was not far behind the leader in deep stretch when he tragically broke down and veered into this horse last time out. This colt came out of the spill okay and is ready to go here. He deserves a long look here in this race here at Aqueduct today.
The second horse returning from the Saranac is the 8 Yo Daddy (8/1 ML). He finished second, but that was because the leader in that race broke down. Yo Daddy is cross-entered into Saturday’s Jockey Blue Derby, so this entrant could allow one of the also eligible entrants to get into this race.
The third horse in the Saranac was The Process (12/1 ML). He was well beaten who assumed third when the tragic incident in the Saranac occurred. He would need to step up big time just to get a piece of this.
The 3 Piper’s Factor (8/1 ML) made his winning move on the turn before the long stretch of the E.P. Taylor turf course at Woodbine over a yielding course. He will be tested here today, but this is the logical step for this Canadian invader.
The 9 Donegal Momentum (9/2 ML) stumbled at the start of his last race at Saratoga and survived an objection. He will have to improve off that to win here today. He did show some major heart in his turf debut while bumping with the runner up several times.
If the 11 Vesting (5/1 ML) draws in, he could be trouble for this field. The mile may be too short for him. He broke his maiden going three furlongs longer than today’s distance. But if things set up for him, he could be flying at the end.
Joe’s pick
I’m throwing the 11 into my picks here, but he’s not my main selection. I think the 2 Take Me To Church deserves another chance here after the unfortunate events that happened at the end of the Saranac. I think he will win the Gio Ponti here. I’ll call this 2-11-9-3 and my play is $20 to win on the 2. Best of luck everyone!
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