USA: Gio Ponti leads another Grade 1 bonanza

AFTER the fireworks of 11 Grade 1s and victories from horses like Zenyatta and Lookin At Lucky last weekend, America plays host to another slew of major Breeders' Cup trials on Saturday - most of them shown live on ATR.

RELATED LINKS Shadwell Turf Milecard Jamaica Handicapcard First Lady card Frizette Stakes card Breeders Futuritycard Champagne Stakescard Betting - Turf Mile Betting - JamaicaHandicap Betting - First Lady Betting - FrizetteStakes Betting - AncientTitle Free bets  Keeneland's short, sharp ‘Fall' meeting kicks off witha handful of Grade 1s, while Belmont hosts the biggest two-year-old races of the year in New York.

Highlight at Keeneland is the Shadwell Turf Mile (10.45pm), where dual turf champion Gio Ponti (Christophe Clement/Ramon Dominguez) steps back in trip with a view to taking on Goldikova at the Breeders' Cup.

Connections of the five-year-old, runner-up in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic, did not have much choice if they fancy a return visit to next month's meeting - the Classic on dirt is no good for him, and he does not stay 1m4f.

After four Grade 1 wins last term firmly established Gio Ponti as America's foremost grass horse, he has stuttered this season, landing only the Grade 1 Man o'War from five starts.

Gio Ponti is a shade of odds-on with Coral, but this won't be easy with rivals headed by Breeders' Cup Milerunner-up Courageous Cat (Bill Mott/Pat Valenzuela) and Get Stormy (Thomas Bush/Javier Castellano), winner of seven of his last eight in lesser grade.

Coral: 10-11 Gio Ponti, 9-2 Get Stormy, Courageous Cat, 11-2 Enriched, 12 Society's Chairman, 33 Acting Zippy

Also on Saturday

Belmont Park: Jamaica Hcap (Grade 1) 1m1f, turf, 3yo (9.11pm BST, live on ATR)

Only recently upgraded to the top level, the Jamaica will produced a maiden Grade 1 winner as none of the 11 have previously scored in such exalted company.

Kiaran McLaughlin will surely fancy his chances with his twin assault via Grade 3 winners Krypton (Edgar Prado) - placed in top turf races- and Lethal Combination (Alan Garcia).

Admiral Alex (Leon Blusiewicz/Channing Hill) ought to find this more to his liking than the Travers, a race he contested after just one previous outing for his eccentric owner-trainer.

Beau Choix (Barclay Tagg/Cornelio Velasquez), Center Divider (Christophe Clement/David Cohen) and Turf Melody (Graham Motion/Alex Solis) all represent stables noted for their turf runners, while Team Valor's Fantastico Roberto (Todd Pletcher/John Velazquez) won acouple in Italy before joining his powerful new connections.

Keeneland: Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (Grade 2) 6f, AW, 3yo