Karelian fends off Gio Ponti in Tampa Bay photo

Karelian (nearer camera) was all heart (Tom Cooley Photography) When two-time Eclipse Award winner Gio Ponti (Tale of the Cat) ranged up to engage the front-running KARELIAN (Bertrando) in Saturday's $146,500 Tampa Bay S., it briefly appeared that the prohibitive 1-5 favorite would march home through the stretch, and kick off his 2010 campaign with a victory. The eight-year-old Karelian refused to show such deference to last year's champion turf male and champion older male, however. Fighting on bravely for every yard with Rosemary Homeister Jr., the Rusty Arnold charge outdueled Gio Ponti to score by a nose, then survived an inquiry and objection to keep his well-earned upset. Green Lantern Stables' homebred Karelian had come out on the wrong side of such a heartbreaking photo in the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) last October, when he led throughout and was just denied by Court Vision (Gulch) at the wire. Saturday's remarkable performance provided compensation for that loss. In a foreshadowing of what was about to occur at Tampa, Gio Ponti gave his supporters a few anxious moments before the race when he uncharacteristically reared up in the gate. In the process, he dislodged Ramon Dominguez, and he had to be backed out and reloaded.

Following the slight delay, Karelian bounded to the early lead and got away with uncontested splits of :25 and :49 3/5. Gio Ponti worked his way into second, while Almoradi (Ire) (Barathea [Ire]) made a middle move along the rail to advance into third. As the stalkers drew nearer, the pace quickened on the far turn, and Karelian negotiated six furlongs in 1:14.

Gio Ponti launched his bid in earnest at the top of the stretch, and after a tussle, he managed to thrust his head in front for a few strides. Karelian rose to the occasion, matching the champion stride for stride. The two see-sawed throughout the closing yards. Gio Ponti's head came up at the wire, while Karelian's head was down. The final time for 1 1/16 miles on firm turf was 1:42 3/5.

Gio Ponti and Karelian were eyeball-to-eyeball down the stretch (Tom Cooley Photography) In the course of their all-out battle, Karelian had drifted out a bit under left-handed urging. The inquiry sign lit up, and Dominguez claimed foul, alleging that the winner had interfered with Gio Ponti. The stewards allowed the result to stand, and Karelian rewarded his loyalists with payouts of $12.80, $3 and $2.40 as the 5-1 second choice. Gio Ponti, who was using the Tampa Bay as his prep for the March 27 Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1), returned $2.10 and $2.10. The 15-1 Rahystrada (Rahy) checked in another 2 3/4 lengths back in third, paying $3.40. The exotics totaled $23.40 (exacta), $101 (trifecta) and $482.20 (7-2-8-1 superfecta). Almoradi faded to fourth, followed by Public Speaker (Distorted Humor), Dinner in Odem (Quaker Ridge) and Quiet Emarati (Quiet American). Mambo Meister (King Cugat) and Pickapocket (Mecke) both scratched in favor of Saturday's Canadian Turf S. (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

Karelian's third career stakes victory improved his scorecard to 20-9-3-1, $558,675. The veteran gelding dead-heated for the win in the 2008 River City H. (G3), and earlier that season, he had captured the Sea O Erin H. Sidelined for almost 11 months after his River City coup, Karelian did not return until the aforementioned Shadwell Turf Mile and ran an heroic race in defeat. The blaze-faced bay concluded 2009 with a sixth in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) and an eighth behind Rahystrada in a strangely-run renewal of the River City, where he bolted to the outside on the backstretch. Karelian avenged that defeat here.

The Kentucky-bred is out of the Theatrical (Ire) mare Leaning Tower, who is a half-sister to Canadian champion older male Basqueian (Bounding Basque), winner of the 1994 Queen's Plate S. and Breeders' S. Karelian has a juvenile half-sister named Gem Mint (Johar) and an unnamed yearling half-brother by Indian Charlie.