By Gustavo Gonzalez
The battle between Lingote de Oro and Eternal Fire ended just at the wire. After 300 meters of fighting, Lingote de Oro, by Orpen—Layka, by Old Trieste, put his head in front to win the Gran Premio República Argentina (Arg-I). The 10-furlong event is the biggest handicap race at Palermo Racetrack in Buenos Aires.
Lingote de Oro also won the Campeonato Palermo de Oro, a championship of three stakes. Bred by La Providencia, the winner earned 700.000 pesos ($190,000) for the stable Keyser Soze and gave trainer Ernesto Romero his third victory in the race and the second for jockey José Ricardo Méndez.
The card included another five group I races as well as the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), in which Argentine fans favored Sidney’s Candy, the son of Argentine-bred Candy Ride , who finished 17th.
Stable Cheche’s Studentessa (High Yield—Student Body Pres, by Mr. Leader) took the Gran Premio Jorge de Atucha (Arg-I). The La Quebrada bred 2-year-old filly won by a half-length under apprentice jockey Néstor Fernández and is trained by Elvio Bortulé. Studentessa is from the family of Good Student and The Student, both stakes-placed in the United States.
The other group I, the Gran Premio Montevideo, went to Anaerobio (Catcher in the Rye—Potra Anala, by Potrillón), ridden by leading jockey Pablo Falero and trained by Juan Carlos Etchechoury Jr.
Foggy Stripes (Equal Stripes—La Boira Blanca, by Gem Master) won the Distaff issue of the festival, the Gran Premio Criadores (Arg-I), rallying from the back of the pack to beat Malpensa by a head. Stable L. Y R. owns Foggy Stripes, who is trained by Mario Palacios. Anselmo Zacarías was the winning rider.
The sprint, the Gran Premio Ciudad de Buenos Aires (Arg-I), was won by Filoso Emperor (Emperor Jones—Fillis, by Firery Ensign). In one more close finish, the Rubio B. Stable’s bay 5-year-old won by a half-head over Tristeza Cat (Easing Along). Worldwide leading jockey Jorge Ricardo guided Filoso Emperor, who is trained by Javier Etchechoury.
A 7-year-old legend, El Garufa, obtained his second straight Gran Premio de las Américas (Arg-I). The son of Luhuk—La Camorrera, by Rainbow Corner, bred by La Quebrada and property of Snow Crest stable, has won 15 races, 13 in stakes, in six seasons of competition. He won the races by a head.
Ridden by Claudio Quiroga and trained by Santiago Bedoya, the future of El Garufa perhaps will be in the breeding shed, but not for Thoroughbreds. The offspring of the great miler will go to play polo, the prestigious sport in Argentina.
A crowd of about 50,000 attended.