Siyouincanada goes wire-to-wire in $200K Gio Ponti
LNJ Foxwoods and Newtownanner Stud Farm’s Siyouincanada led every step of the way to victory under Kendrick Carmouche in Monday’s $200,000 Gio Ponti, a one-mile inner turf test for sophomores, to close out stakes action at the 2026 Saratoga Race Course meet.
Trained by Joe Sharp, the gray son of Siyouni improved from a last-out stalking third in a local first-level allowance facing elders on August 6, and earned his first victory against winners in his third start since a debut maiden score in similar pacesetting fashion in May at Churchill Downs. He scratched out of the Grade 3 Old Dominion Derby won earlier today by Lennox the Grey at Colonial Downs in favor of this spot.
“We were really proud of him,” Sharp said. “The horse has been training really well up there. His last race - where he ran against older horses and was able to show a different dynamic stalking – he got some experience and that race gave me a lot of confidence today back against 3-year-olds."
Sharp praised the ride from Carmouche, who climbed aboard the talented colt for the first time in the afternoon.
“I thought Kendrick was a good fit for the horse. He didn’t [work him] but I texted him this morning and said, ‘ride him how you want, just win,'” he said, with a laugh. “Usually, when you tell Kendrick that, he understands the assignment."
Siyouincanada was sharp from post 7-of-9 and rushed up to clear the field while tucking in heading into the first turn, marking splits of 23.88 seconds and 48.41 over the firm footing with Doubting Thomas tracking 1 1/2 lengths back in tandem with Bull Shoals and a keen Third Coast just behind them along the rail.
“I was pretty confident,” Sharp said. “When he was able to get out to the lead and slow that half down to 48 [48.41], I felt pretty good about it. He seemed to be doing it the best of anybody.”
Carmouche sat chilly midway through the turn and took a peek back to see a trio of rivals spread across the track, with the Jose Lezcano-piloted Third Coast accelerating while clinging to the inside and Bull Shoals spinning his wheels in the three path. Siyouincanada reached three-quarters in 1:11.91 and had plenty in reserve for the stretch run, keeping well clear of Third Coast to post the 2 1/4-length victory in a final time of 1:34.71.
Third Coast was game in defeat to hold second by 1 1/2 lengths over the late-running Glavine in third while Bull Shoals completed the superfecta. Chummers, Doubting Thomas, Lyneham, Black Hornet and Glorious Boy rounded out the order of finish. Main track-only entrants Chief Wallabee and Talk to Me Jimmy were scratched.
Carmouche said the professional Siyouincanada made his job easy today.
“It was pretty simple. They told me to do whatever I want with the horse,” Carmouche said. “I thought putting him on the lead, they couldn't beat him. As you can see, he brought me right to the winner's circle. No complaints. They couldn't beat me. I was a winner at the half-mile."
The colt was a well-named mount for Carmouche, who heads north of the border to Woodbine Racetrack on Saturday to ride Deterministic in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile.
"I think that's why they put me on him,” Carmouche said, with a laugh.
Lezcano said the Tom Proctor-trained Third Coast performed admirably racing with blinkers off after a last-out fifth when setting the pace in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame on August 7 here.
“Very good trip. The winner went slow the whole way, but my horse gave me a very good race,” Lezcano said. “I always think he's going to improve race by race. I think he's a very nice colt. Last time, he had blinkers. Today, he took them off. It made me ride him different today than last time, but nobody put pressure on the winner."
Bred in France by LNJ Foxwoods, Siyouincanada is out of the winning LNJ Foxwoods homebred Kitten’s Joy mare Polished, a half-sister to their multiple graded stakes-placed filly Dogtag. His second dam, the stakes-placed Diamond Necklace, is a half-sister to multiple Group 1-winner and 2004 Cartier Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Shamardal, who went on to become an influential sire in Ireland and Australia.
Siyouincanada banked $110,000 in victory while improving his record to 4-2-0-1 and returning $8.54 on a $2 win ticket as the 3-1 mutuel favorite.
Live racing will resume on Friday, September 18 as racing returns to Belmont Park for a card headlined by the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup, a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic in October at Keeneland.
To help unveil the new Belmont Park to a national audience on September 18, FOX will present live coverage of the Jockey Club Gold Cup as part of its Belmont Park: Return to Racing telecast to air from 3-4:30 p.m. Eastern. For the complete broadcast schedule, please visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule/.
For additional information on the new Belmont Park, please visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/.
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