Goldikova draws a crowd in morning exercise

by Brisnet.com

With trainer Freddy Head watching, and dozens of cameras snapping images and

capturing video of her, three-time Breeders' Cup Mile winner Goldikova went to

the main track for some light exercise at 8:45 a.m. (EDT) on Wednesday at

Churchill Downs.

The six-year-old mare -- aiming for a fourth straight victory in the Mile --

was part of a group of seven European runners that went to the track together

and spent about 15 minutes in the sunshine. Like she was on Tuesday morning,

Goldikova was frisky at times and appeared to want to do more than walk and jog.

Head, who has handled Goldikova throughout her remarkable 26-race career,

arrived from Europe Tuesday evening and was at Churchill on Wednesday morning.

Goldikova has two wins and three seconds in five starts this season and Head

said that the Breeders' Cup Mile has been the target for the entire year.

"The goal is to be there at 100 percent on Saturday," Head said. And the

veteran horseman said he has been training Goldikova for a top performance in

the Mile.

"Oh, yes. Absolutely," he said. "From Deauville, from the (Group 1) Le

Jacques Marois (on August 15, where she was second to Immortal Verse by a

length), which was one of our goals, too, we aimed for the Breeders' Cup. There

was no doubt that this was the race we want to win."

Head used "absolutely" again to answer a question about whether he was

pleased with the way she is coming into the race.

"She's very well," he said. "I don't think I could have her better."

Goldikova is approaching the final start of her career with a record of

17-6-2 and earnings of $6,978,551. The only time she failed to finish in the top

three was in the Group 1 Prix d'Ispahan on May 17, 2009, when she was seventh.

Beginning with her victory in the 2009 Mile at Santa Anita, she is 8-4 in 12

starts.

"I've known some good horses, too, maybe as good as her," Head said, "but one

that could do so much over the years. No, I've never seen one."

Fellow Mile contender Gio Ponti arrived on a flight from New York on Tuesday

evening and the Castleton Lyons homebred was out on the racetrack early

Wednesday morning for an easy jog once around under Christophe Lorieul, the long

time assistant to trainer Christophe Clement.

"Everything went just fine. He's a very fresh and happy horse," Lorieul said.

"He will gallop a mile and a quarter tomorrow."

The three-time Eclipse Award-winning horse will be making his fourth start in

the Breeders' Cup, dating back to his first effort in the 2007 Juvenile Turf at

Monmouth Park, but is still looking for his first trophy.

In 2009 at Santa Anita, he was beaten a length by Zenyatta in the Classic and

Goldikova bested him by 1 3/4 lengths in last year's Mile under the Twin Spires.

He has to face Goldikova again in this year's Mile and it will be his last

chance. But it may not be his last dance.

"We'll see what happens after this race," said Castleton Lyons Commercial

Manager Stuart Fitzgibbon, alluding to the speculation that the Tale of the Cat

son may go to the Group 1 Hong Kong Gold Cup or make another start before year's

end.

"But he is definitely coming home to stand at Castleton in 2012. It will be

nice to have him home. He was born and raised on the farm, went away to

Christophe for five years, and soon he's coming home," Fitzgibbon added.

Gio Ponti has more than 1,500 Facebook friends and counting, and they connect

with him from all over the world. In 23 starts on the grass, Gio Ponti finished

in the money 21 times, with 11 firsts and nine seconds. Seven of those wins are

Grade 1s and he has earned more than $6 million in his career.

"In this day and age, you don't see that anymore," Fitzgibbon noted. "That is

quite an accomplishment."