by Mike Curry

Court Vision swept into the stretch from four wide and gamely outfinished multiple graded stakes winner Gio Ponti to win the $250,000 Jamaica Handicap (G2) by three-quarters of a length on Saturday at Belmont Park.

The Gulch colt earned his first stakes win in more than ten months for Racing Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and owners IEAH Stables and WinStar Farm.

Court Vision was positioned in fifth early as Thou Swell set an uncontested pace through an opening quarter in :24.92 and a half-mile in :49.95. Gio Ponti stalked the pace from third then fourth.

“I had a really great trip,” winning jockey Ramon Dominguez said. “There was a lot of bouncing going on, but between the five-eighths pole and the half-mile pole, he got pretty rank and pushed his way out and bumped into Gio Ponti.

“After that, Gio Ponti decided to go on and save the ground. I positioned my horse on the outside, hoping to get a clear trip. Sure enough, Gio Ponti was second around the turn and had to check again.”

Court Vision surged into the stretch and got a jump on Gio Ponti, who was forced to wait behind traffic before he split horses and closed gamely. Gio Ponti powered ahead to challenge Court Vision, but the winner had enough left to repel the bid and prevail in 1:49.75 on turf rated as good.

Gio Ponti was five lengths clear of third-place finisher Ready’s Echo.

Court Vision was one of the leading two-year-olds in 2007 following victories in the Remsen (G2) and Iroquois (G3) Stakes, but he was winless in six starts this year entering the Jamaica. After finishing 13th in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) on May 3, Mott tried Court Vision on turf. He finished fourth in the $600,000 Colonial Turf Cup Stakes (G3) and second to Gio Ponti in the Virginia Derby (G2).

Court Vision entered off a sixth-place finish on the main track in the Travers Stakes Presented by Shadwell Farm (G1) on August 23 at Saratoga Race Course and a return to the grass proved the recipe for success in the Jamaica. He improved to four wins in 11 career starts and boosted his earnings to $706,400.

Out of the unraced Storm Bird mare Weekend Storm, Court Vision is a full brother to Hong Kong multiple stakes winner Garcia Marquez and a half brother to Grade 1-placed stakes winner Lord Snowdon. He is from the family of 1992 Horse of the Year and leading sire A.P. Indy and 1990 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner and sire Summer Squall.

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor