Tonkawa and La Indiana beat Aspen-Dutta Corp and Pilot, respectively, in day two of the USPA Gold Cup, the second leg of The Gauntlet of Polo, at International Polo Club Palm Beach. The tournament sees nine teams, up to 22 goals, compete. The teams are broken down into two leagues.
First up, Tonkawa fought hard to defeat Aspen Dutta Corp (with Lucas Escobar filling in for Cody Ellis). After two very close chukkas, Tonkawa, led by Sapo Caset, took control of the match. They widened their advantage in the last two chukkas, holding Aspen Dutta Corp scoreless, and ultimately claiming a 10-7 debut victory.
Later that afternoon, La Indiana took on Pilot. The latter saw significant changes in its lineup: Lucas James replacing an injured Facundo Pieres, while Matías Gonzalez – a member of Pilot back in 2019, when they won the first ever Gauntlet of Polo – filling in for Keko Magrini.
The match was a very close contest. By half time, Pilot were narrowly leading 7-6. By the fourth, the score was tied at 8-all. Despite Gonzalito Pieres’s outstanding performance – he scored a total of 10 goals – La Indiana gained enough momentum in the two last chukkas to secure the 13-11 victory.
The CV Whitney Cup final is scheduled for Sunday, March 28.
The Gauntlet of Polo is streamed live on GLOBAL POLO.
TONKAWA 10-7 ASPEN-DUTTA CORP
TONKAWA: Jeff Hildebrand 0, Lucas Escobar 3 (1 goal), Guillermo Caset Jr. 10 (7), Francisco Elizalde 9 (2) . Total: 22.
ASPEN-DUTTA CORP: Timmy Dutta 4 (3 goals), Lucas Diaz Alberdi 6 (1), Gringo Colombres 8 (2), Stewart Armstrong 3 (1) . Total: 21
Score Tonkawa: 2-3, 4-3, 6-4, 7-5, 9-7, 10-7.
LA INDIANA 13-11 PILOT
LA INDIANA: Michael Bickford 2 (3 goals), Nicolás Escobar 4 (1), Polito Pieres 10 (7), Jeff Hall (2). Total: 22
PILOT: Curtis Pilot 0, Matias Gonzalez 4, Lucas James 8 (1 goal), Gonzalo Pieres Jr. 10 (10) . Total: 22
Score La Indiana: 0-2, 3-5, 6-7, 8-8, 10-9, 13-11.
The USPA Gold Cup resumes on Thursday, March 11:
10am: Cessna vs. Park Place
3pm: Santa Clara vs. Scone
USPA Gold Cup: Fixture & Teams
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PHOTO CREDITS: AGUSTINA FONDA