Brazilian Association of Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners
Brazil celebrated its 12th Triple Crown winner March 16 when Bal a Bali won the Grande Premio Cruzeiro do Sul (Brz-I) in track-record time at Gavea racecourse.
Bal a Bali (Put It Back—In My Side, by Clackson) got a patient ride by jockey Vagner Borges, who kept the colt in mid-pack through much of the 2,400-meter race (about 12 furlongs), also known as the Brazilian Derby. The colt made his run at the leader Hendrix at the top of the stretch, taking command of the race with a furlong to go and hitting the wire a length ahead in 2:23.25. Hendrix finished second under Jorge Ricardo, and last year's Diana (Brz-I, Brazilian Oaks) winner Energia Fribby and rider Ted Durcan finished third.
Bal a Bali's final time gave him his second track record as he's rolled through Brazil's premier series. He won the 1,600-meter Estado do Rio de Janeiro Stakes (Brz-I)—the first leg of the Triple Crown—in near-world record time of 1:31.36. The previous record had been 1:32.29. The 4-year-old colt's lifetime record is now five wins and a third from of six starts.
The Triple Crown winner was bred by Haras Santa Maria de Araras and is owned by Stud Alvarenga. Bal a ali is the third Brazilian Triple Crown winner trained by Dulcino Guignoni, who took the crown previously with Virginie in 1998 and Be Fair in 2000.
If Bal a Bali remains in Brazil, he is expected to start next in the Grande Premio Sao Paulo (Brz-I) in April and the Grande Premio Brasil (Brz-I) in June.