WELLINGTON, FL., March 3, 2025---In a hardfought final, Casablanca won its second World Polo League title Sunday at Grand Champions Polo Club.
By Sharon Robb
Photos by Candace Ferreira
Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, 3, Hilario Figueras, 6, Rufino Bensadon, 8, Sapo Caset 9) broke open a close game in the sixth chukker to defeat Alegria (Jason Crowder, 5, Fred Mannix, 7, Nic Roldan, 7, Tommy Collingwood, 5), 14-12, in the championship final of the Founders Cup.
It was Casablanca's second WPL title after winning the season-opening 32-Goal All-Star Challenge Riemenschneider Memorial. It was the first time Ganzi won the Founders Cup since the inception of the league seven years ago.
"There were four great teams in the tournament," Ganzi said. "For myself personally not having won this one since the inception of the league is pretty huge. To have Sapo, Hilario and Rufino to win it with is pretty cool. To get their name on the trophy is important for them.
"It was great to win, but more importantly to have two fun games with great polo and get the team started on the right foot," said Ganzi, Brand Ambassador for Casablanca. "If we can, we would love to win every tournament this season. It's nice to keep winning, but also keep having fun and play our brand of polo, just keep focused and playing for each other."
Sapo Caset swept the Most Valuable Player and WPL Best Playing Polo honors. The 9-goaler scored a game-high 10 goals including five penalty conversions. It was Caset's second MVP award of the WPL season. Sapo Prada, played and owned by Caset, was the World Polo League Best Playing Pony.
"No doubt in my mind about him being MVP in the game," Ganzi said. "He was by far the best player on the field and showed why he is 10 goals in my eyes. He did everything right. He's been a great captain and a great leader. The respect he has for myself, Hilario and Rufino speaks for itself. He lets us play such a great brand of polo, very clean. We don't really foul, we play super open and work our tails off for each other."
Two other pony blankets were awarded. The Argentino Best Playing Pony was Luca Penelope played by Rufino Bensadon. The American Polo Horse Association Best Playing Pony was Pite Hipotesis, owned and played by Fred Mannix.
In a physical game, there were eleven lead changes between the evenly-matched teams before Casablanca broke an 11-11 tie in the sixth chukker when Bensadon worked his way through a pack of players for a goal and 12-11 lead with 3:01 left.
"Out of the gate it was really physical and hardfought, that's what we want," Ganzi said. "We knew they were going to come out strong and be aggressive. I think were really good at counter attacking.
"We capitalized on our back shots, not losing key balls. When the play turned I think we were a little bit faster and more decisive in those moments and turning defense into offense."
Caset came up with a clutch steal with 1:57 on the clock to enable Bensadon to score off a broken play for an 13-11 advantage to put the game out of reach. With less than a minute left, Caset came up with another steal and scored again for a 14-11 lead. Mannix scored in the closing seconds to make it 14-12.
Ganzi had the Play of the Game in the fifth chukker when he took Bensadon's 80-yard penalty shot headed to goal and reached to hit it while still in the air through the goal post and give Casablanca a 10-9 lead.
Casablanca outshot Alegria, 23-13, and led in throw-ins, 14-8. Alegria led knock-ins, 10-3, and fouls, 15-5.
In addition to Caset's 10 goals, Bensadon had two goals and Ganzi added one. The team was also awarded a penalty-one. For Alegria, Roldan had a team-high four goals, Mannix had three, Collingwood and Crowder one goal.
Both teams advanced into the championship with impressive wins in the semifinals. Alegria defeated Maltese Falcons, 11-8, and Casablanca edged Travieso in a thriller, 12-11.
In the Founders Cup subsidiary game, Travieso (Tony Calle, 3, Pipe Vercellino 7, Juan Martin Zubia, 9, Santi Toccalino, 7) rallied in the final minute of the game to defeat Maltese Falcons (Melissa Ganzi, 0, Matias Gonzalez, 5, Pablo MacDonough, 10, Juan Martin Nero 10), 9-8.
With a minute left on the clock, Calle, while defending Nero, flipped the ball to Zubia who clinched the win with a big swing goal. After a mishit by MacDonough, Vercellino stripped the ball from Gonzalez in the closing seconds.
Travieso got balanced scoring from its lineup. Calle had a team-high three goals. Vercellino, Zubia and Toccalino each had two goals. For Maltese Falcons, Ganzi also had a team-high three goals.MacDonough and Nero each had two goals. The 25-goal team also picked up one goal on handicap.
The WPL, the winter season's biggest highlight, is the only 26-goal polo played outside of Argentina.
The WPL kicked off its seventh season on Feb. 16th making history with a first-of-its kind 32-goal matchup at Grand Champions. Casablanca (Sapo Caset, 9, Grant Ganzi, 3, Tommy Panelo, 10, Juan Martin Nero, 10) led from start to finish to defeat Santa Rita (Nic Roldan, 7, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Pablo MacDonough, 10, Juan Martin Zubia, 9), 8-5. Caset led Casablanca with a game-high five goals and was MVP.
The remaining two WPL tournaments are the March 5-23 Palm Beach Open and March 26-April 12 Triple Crown of Polo.