Churchtown Goes Wire-to-Wire in Gio Ponti
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Chelsea Durand
Churchtown wins the Gio Ponti Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
W. B. Harrigan and Mike Pietrangelo's homebred Churchtown posted a game wire-to-wire victory for Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield in the $135,000 Gio Ponti Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile outer turf route for 3-year-olds, Nov. 19 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Ridden to victory by Junior Alvarado, the son of Air Force Blue shipped in from Woodbine to earn the first stakes victory of his career. Attfield said going to the front made sense today for Churchtown.
"In his last race, he didn't need to be near the lead. He does better when he stalks a little bit and they had him near the lead and he just got caught," Attfield said by phone from Florida, where he stables some horses in the cooler months of the year. "But when they went as slow as they did today, of course he would be on the lead. He's a very genuine running horse."
Churchtown broke alertly from the inside post and made the early lead for the first time since a close runner-up effort in allowance company in December at Gulfstream Park. Longshot Riot House tracked to his outside in second as the field rounded the first turn through an opening quarter-mile in :25.09 over the firm footing.
With Churchtown and Riot House maintaining position down the backstretch, Todd Pletcher-trained stablemates Grand Sonata and post-time favorite Steady On raced on even terms for third after passing the half-mile call. Positions remained unchanged until Riot House made a mild bid approaching the turn with Steady On looming three-wide under a strong ride from Irad Ortiz Jr.
Churchtown dug in gamely nearing the top of the stretch as Riot House retreated and Grand Sonata advanced along the rail, making progress as Steady On put in his run down the center of the racetrack after three-quarters in 1:14.30. Alvarado implored his mount for more and Churchtown answered, staving off a flying finish from Steady On by a half-length in a final time of 1:44.48.
Steady On bested Grand Sonata by a neck for place honors, followed by a rallying Dakota Gold .
Attfield said the others didn't have a prayer after the moderate tempo.
"When I saw the first quarter in that time, I thought, my God, he should be on the lead," Attfield said. "They were just walking. They went the half so slow and I thought they may not catch him. It worked out good."
Alvarado, who rode Churchtown for the first time, said the gelding made the lead easily.
"They didn't give me any instructions, but being in the one-hole, I thought I didn't have much choice but to send him out of there and try and take the lead," Alvarado said. "He responded very well. He took the lead and then after that, he pretty much knew what to do. Turning for home, right away he had a great turn of foot, and I knew there would be enough for me to carry to the wire."
Attfield said Churchtown, who returned $13.20 for a $2 win wager, could target the $100,000 Tropical Park Derby Dec. 26 at Gulfstream Park next.
Bred in Kentucky, Churchtown is one of two winners of the Blame mare Complicated and her sole stakes winner. She also has an active 2-year-old named Honor D Lady (Honor Code ), who is 1-for-2. Her unraced foals are a yearling filly by Summer Front and an Omaha Beach filly born this year.