A new team, Clinova The Sandbox, has joined the lineup for the Gauntlet of Polo at the National Polo Center.
After an exciting C.V. Whitney Cup opener won by Dutta Corp, the Gauntlet of Polo continued Wednesday with the second 22-goal USPA Gold Cup tournament.
Clinova The Sandbox opened against defending champion Park Place at 11 a.m. (15-9, Park Place); La Dolfina Tamera played Coca-Cola at 1:30 p.m. (12-8, La Dolfina Tamera).
Clinova The Sandbox patron Arthur Madrid, co-founder of The Sandbox, a virtual gaming platform that uses non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and its token, SAND, will make his U.S. debut. He will be joined by 8-goalers Rufino Bensadon and Benjamin Panelo, and 6-goaler Jared Zenni.
Arsalan Karim, co-founder of the health tech company Clinova, a United Kingdom-based global consumer healthcare company, will make his U.S. debut as the team’s co-patron in the U.S. Open Polo Championship. Both Madrid and Karim have played in Argentina and Europe.
Zenni returns after missing the 2025 winter season with a broken collarbone. The University of Miami alum has played with his teammates on various teams, including Clinova in the 2022 Cartier Queen’s Cup.
“I like the team on paper, we all get along really well,” Zenni said. “We’re all young, we’re all hungry to play well, do well and play a certain style. We all play our handicaps well. The idea behind this team is to build something long term.”
It will be the first time the four players will compete as a team in the USPA Gold Cup and on U.S. soil with only practice sessions under their belt.
“We are going to be fighting uphill a little bit,” said Zenni, who last played the Gauntlet in 2024. “Park Place had a few games in the C.V. Whitney but they didn’t have the success they wanted, so maybe they will be playing with a little bit of pressure. I’ve been playing the 16- and 12-goal, so I feel like I am up to rhythm which is nice.”
Established in 1974, the USPA Gold Cup has been hosted at seven venues in five different states and has included many of the world’s top players and teams.
First played at Oak Brook Polo Club in Oak Brook, Ill., four teams played for the trophy with inaugural winners Milwaukee (Tom Hughes, Tommy Wayman, Joe Barry, Robert Uihlein III) edging Houston 9-8, in a thrilling overtime victory, with Wayman scoring the golden goal three minutes into the sudden death chukker.
After a successful 17-year stretch at the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club, the tournament was hosted by several clubs over the years including the now defunct Royal Palm Polo Sports Club, Greenwich Polo Club and New Bridge Polo and Country Club in Aiken, S.C.), finding a permanent home in Wellington, Florida.
Teams winning the title more than once include Valiente (2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018), Audi (2011, 2015), Crab Orchard (2007, 2010) and Scone (2021, 2023). White Birch holds the all-time record wins with 12 titles spanning three decades. Back-to-back victories in the Gold Cup were last won in 2017 and 2018 by Valiente.
The winner of the USPA Gold Cup will receive $75,000. At the end of the competition, the charities selected by both the winning team and the runner-up will each receive a $2,500 donation from U.S. Polo Assn.
All nine teams that competed in the C.V. Whitney Cup will return (BTA, Clearwater, Coca-Cola, DUS, La Dolfina Scone, La Dolfina Tamera, Park Place, Pilot, Dutta Corp) will return.
“It’s awesome that every year it gets more competitive,” Zenni said. “The players are better, the horses are better. Here you have some of the top players and top horses in the world which makes for a crazy, ridiculous tournament.”
Back-to-back title holders (2023, 2024) Poroto Cambiaso and Tomas Panelo will face-off as competitors, with Cambiaso leading La Dolfina Scone and Panelo playing for BTA. KC Kruger of BTA and Gillian Johnston are the only women competing. Going after a 16th title, Adolfo Cambiaso and La Dolfina Tamera are among favorites.
USPA Gold Cup Team Rosters
BTA: Nachi Viana, 7, KC Krueger, 1, Steve Krueger, 5, Tomas Panelo, 10.
Clearwater: Camp Campbell, 2/Chip Campbell, 1, Santino Magrini, 4, Francisco Elizalde, 9, Gringo Colombres, 7.
Clinova The Sandbox: Arthur Madrid, 0, Rufino Bensadon, 8, Benjamin Panelo, 8, Jared Zenni, 6.
Coca-Cola: Gillian Johnston, 1, Julian de Lusarreta, 7, Alfonso Pieres, 5, Polito Pieres, 9.
DUS: Marc Ganzi, 1, Matias Gonzalez, 4, Antonio Heguy, 8, Barto Castagnola, 10.
La Dolfina/Scone: Jesse Bray, 7, Poroto Cambiaso, 10, Rufino Merlos, 6, David Paradice, 0.
La Dolfina/Tamera: Adolfo Cambiaso, 10, Ale Poma, 2, Diego Cavanagh, 8, Sterling Giannico, 3.
Park Place: Andrey Borodin, 0, Hilario Ulloa, 10, Mariano “Nino” Obregon, 5, Peke Gonzalez, 8.
Pilot: Jeta Castagnola, 10, Curtis Pilot, 0, Lorenzo Chavannne, 7, Mackie Weisz, 6/Nico Escobar, 6.
The Dutta Corp: Facundo Llosa, 7, Lucas Diaz Alberdi, 6, Timmy Dutta, 4, Felipe “Pipe” Miguens, 5.
USPA Gold Cup Schedule
March 7, 11 a.m. Clinova The Sandbox vs. Coca Cola; 1:30 p.m. La Dolfina Tamera vs. La Dolfina Scone.
March 8, 10 a.m. Clearwater vs. Dutta Corp; 3 p.m. Pilot vs. DUS.
March 10, 10 a.m. Clinova The Sandbox vs. La Dolfina Scone; 12:30 p.m. Park Place vs. Coca-Cola.
March 11, 1 p.m. BTA vs. Dutta Corp; 3:30 p.m., Clearwater vs. DUS.
March 14, 11 a.m. Pilot vs. Dutta Corp; 1:30 p.m. Park Place vs. La Dolfina Scone.
March 15, 10 a.m. Clinova The Sandbox vs. La Dolfina Tamera; 3 p.m. Clearwater vs. BTA
March 18, 11 a.m. Park Place vs. La Dolfina Tamera; 1:30 p.m. Coca-Cola vs. La Dolfina Scone.
March 19, 2:30 p.m. Pilot vs. BTA; 3 p.m., DUS vs. Dutta Corp
March 22, 10 a.m., Mini Quarter; 3 p.m. Mini Quarter, Tommy Hitchcock Memorial Handicap.
March 25, 11 a.m. Semifinal; 3 p.m. Semifinal
March 26, 11 a.m. George Miller Semifinal; 3 p.m. George Miller Semifinal
March 29, 10 a.m. George Miller Final; 3 p.m. Gold Cup Final
All matches will be live streamed at watch.uspolo.org and across major streaming apps. Quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals are included with a free core subscription for active 2026 USPA Lifetime, Registered Player, and Affiliate Player members, with a $50 Premium Subscription upgrade for access to every match. Non-competing members and non-members may purchase a Premium Subscription for $150.
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