Skeeterville, Jedi Open With Victories in 26-Goal C.V. Whitney Cup
Wednesday at International Polo Club Palm Beach

 
WELLINGTON, FL (March 8, 2006) – Eight-goaler Julio Arellano scored six goals, including the game-winner on a 60-yard penalty shot with 34 seconds left, to spark Skeeterville over San Saba 10-9 in a first-round game of the 26-goal C.V. Whitney Cup Wednesday at International Polo Club Palm Beach.

In other action, 9-goaler Pablo MacDonough scored eight goals, six in the second half, to lead Jedi over Mokarow Farms 12-9.

In the fifth chukker, 10-goaler Javier Novillo Astrada and 8-goaler Silvestre Donovan scored goals with an 80-second span to give San Saba its only leads of the game, 9-7, with 5:10 left. Skeeterville responded with goals by Arellano and Ignacio Toccalino to tie the game with 2:21 left.

Both teams had several scoring opportunities in the sixth chukker before Arellano’s game-winning penalty shot.

 San Saba had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds but Astrada’s shot from midfield was short and to the right.

Owen Rinehart and Toccalino scored two goals each for Skeeterville (1-0) while patron Skeeter Johnston did not score.

Astrada and Donovan led San Saba (0-1) with four goals each while patron Tommy Lee Jones added one goal. Toto Collardin did not score.

Jedi scored three consecutive goals in the fourth chukker to snap a 4-4 halftime tie and added four unanswered goals to take an 11-5 lead with 3:01 left in the fifth chukker. Mokarow Farms cut the margin to three goals, but MacDonough scored on a breakaway with 4:28 left in the game to clinch the victory.

Patron Torsten Koch scored two goals and Juan Martin Nero had one goal for Jedi (1-0). Hector Guerrero did not score. Ten-goaler Carlos Gracida led Mokarow Farms (0-1) with eight goals while Sunny Hale scored one goal. Memo Gracida and Del Walton did not score.

White Birch, which defeated Black Watch 10-9 in the 2005 final, opens defense of its title on Thursday at 3 p.m. against Orchard Hill.

Fourteen teams, the largest field of the 2006 winter season, have entered the tournament. Seven 10-goalers – Aguerre (White Birch), Javier Novillo Astrada (San Saba), Miguel Novillo Astrada (Bendabout), Mike Azzaro (BTA), Carlos Gracida (Mokarow Farms), Agustin Merlos (ERG) and Sebastian Merlos (Lechuza Caracas) – are competing in the event.

The quarterfinals are scheduled for Sunday, March 19 with the semifinals set for Thursday, March 23 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The final is Sunday, March 26 at 3 p.m. on Stanford Field at International Polo Club.

The tournament is named in memory of Cornelius Vanderbilt “Sonny” Whitney, who along with his cousin John Hay Whitney, were important polo patrons in the 1930's. The son of Hall of Fame patron Harry Payne Whitney, C.V. won the U.S. Open three times (twice against his brother), and was a renowned owner and breeder of thoroughbred racehorses.

The polo matches at International Polo Club are open to the public. General admission for the Sunday games at International Polo Club Palm Beach is $10 for adults. Children under 12 enter for free. Tickets may be purchased at the gate on the day of the game.

International Polo Club Palm Beach is located at 3667 120th Avenue South, between Pierson Road and Lake Worth Road in Wellington. For information, directions or ticket purchases, please call the club at (561) 204-5687 or visit the website at www.internationalpoloclub.com.
 
C.V. Whitney Schedule
 
Thursday, March 9                   11 AM             Black Watch v. Lechuza
                                                1 PM               ERG v. Bendabout
                                                3 PM               Orchard Hill v. White Birch
 
Friday, March 10                     10 AM             Las Monjitas v. Pony Express
                                                10 AM             Isla Carroll v BTA
 
Sunday, March 12                    10 AM             Orchard Hill v. Lechuza
                                                10 AM             Mokarow Farms v. Bendabout
                                                Noon               Black Watch v. San Saba
                                                3 PM               Skeeterville v. White Birch
 

International Polo Club
Palm Beach