A disqualification between stablemates and a victory that stayed put
What a Man crossed the wire first in the Clásico New Dandy, but was disqualified for interfering with Grand Canyon, his entrymate; both carry the colors of Haras El Ángel de Venecia and are trained by Carlos Daniel Etchechoury
The winner changed, but the colors and the trainer remained the same. The Clásico New Dandy delivered a finish that was as fair by the book as it was unusual for its protagonists: What a Man (Mastercraftsman) crossed the wire first, but a sharp drift outward in the final 150 meters, causing interference to Grand Canyon (Long Island Sound), cost him the victory in the stewards' room. The win was reassigned from one Haras El Ángel de Venecia runner to another, both trained by Carlos Daniel Etchechoury. Everything stayed in-house, though for the betting public, it was quite a different story.
The day's other featured event on Monday at Hipódromo Palermo, contested over a mile on the turf under weight-for-age conditions for 4-year-olds and up, provided a rare spectacle. The favorite was disqualified for interference, and his entrymate—the higher-priced of the two—inherited top honors. It was a twist that took on extra significance since coupled entries were eliminated, meaning stablemates no longer run as a single betting interest.
Under the old system, a swap in order between entrymates would not have altered the fate of those who backed the stable's colors to win. Today, every horse represents an independent wagering option, turning tickets on Grand Canyoninto winners while those on What a Man were left empty-handed in win wagering. The owner and trainer preserved the victory; the public that had backed the favorite did not.
Beyond that quirk, the incident that prompted the stewards' intervention proved decisive. What a Man had tracked in third as Aroma Rim (Remote) set the pace, while Grand Canyon rated near the back. In the stretch, the favorite launched his rally on the outside and took command around 300 meters from home, appearing headed for a winning comeback.
However, when Rodrigo Bascuñán went to the left-handed whip, the horse drifted abruptly outward, shutting off the path of Grand Canyon, who was making strong headway in that same lane. The margin at the wire was not enough to salvage the original order: the interference had occurred in the heat of the finish, and the stewards flipped the top two placings.
Martín Valle, who rode the awarded winner, stated afterward that without the incident, his mount would have passed him anyway. From that perspective, he considered the disqualification entirely justified, convinced that his horse's late surge carried enough momentum to settle the race in his favor.
For What a Man, the frustration came in his return following a layoff of more than 280 days due to physical issues. His performance showed that he retained the talent to excel, even if that sharp lug-out ultimately dictated the outcome. Attributing the move to those past physical issues would be speculative; what was concrete was the loss of his line and the obstacle placed in his rival's path just as he was trying to collar him.
On the other end stood 5-year-old Grand Canyon, who turned in one of his finest performances to date. Though the victory came via the official ruling, his closing kick gave athletic merit to the award: he was in full flight when his stablemate drifted across his path.
The running time was 1m34s77/100 for a Clásico New Dandy that delivered much more than a standard result. There was a disqualified favorite, a winner emerging from the stewards' decision, and a rarity seldom found in recent memory: the exact same colors celebrated both before and after the official ruling.
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