Abrileño Fever shocked the Gran Premio Jockey Club and denied Maroñas a Triple Crown champion
The son of Texas Fever returned a lucrative $44.70 payout after leading from gate to wire in the second leg of the series; he bested International Star by 2 1/4 lengths, while race favorite Es Patriarca could only manage fourth
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (Special for Turf Diario).— They were left watching Abrileño Fever from behind through all 2,000 meters of the Gran Premio Jockey Club (G3). The colt who had finished sixth in the Gran Premio Polla de Potrillos (G3) turned into the undisputed star of Sunday's feature event at Maroñas, seizing the early lead from the break and hitting the wire with authority to send a major shockwave through the 3-year-old division.
His $44.70 payout reflected the magnitude of the upset, though not the sheer dominance of his execution. The defender of Stud Antonella dictated terms without offering a single opening to his rivals, showing plenty of stamina in the stretch to draw away when the race was on the line. Left behind in his wake were the Triple Crown dreams of Es Patriarca (Awesome Patriot), winner of the Polla and sole contender eligible for the sweep, who was forced to settle for fourth while surrendering his undefeated record.
Ridden by Yair Pereira and trained by Gustavo Vergara, the son of top stallion Texas Fever found the stretch-out to two kilometers to be the ideal backdrop to display his true ability. His previous effort had left a far different impression, though his third-place finish in the Clásico Ensayo (G3)—following his maiden win in late June—had already hinted at his potential to mix it up with the top colts.
This time, his step forward was monumental. Abrileño Fever broke with intent to set the pace, establishing his rhythm through splits of :25.08, :47.93, and 1:11.60. Far from just cruising on an easy lead, he maintained a relentless tempo that forced the field to chase him, laying the foundation for a victory that reached its peak in the home stretch.
There, right where his opponents needed to make up ground, the pacesetter re-engaged. He passed the mile mark in 1:36.41 and drew off convincingly, unaffected by his early exertion. Pereira got every response required to keep him traveling smoothly to the wire, turning a longshot proposition on the board into a decisive triumph.
International Star (Drosselmeyer) mounted the closest challenge, finishing 2 1/4 lengths back in second. Another four lengths behind the runner-up came Petkovic (Kentuckian) in third, while race favorite Es Patriarca rounded out the primary order of finish, 6 1/2 lengths off the winner. The final time stopped at 2:02.35 over a wet dirt track, capping off a performance that reshuffled the hierarchy established in the opening leg of the series.
Bred by Haras El Santo and out of an Unbridled’s Song mare, Abrileño Fever earned a victory of immense value for his connections. It was not merely a matter of improving upon his sixth-place run in the Polla: he handily defeated the division’s top-ranked figures and firmly thrust himself into the fight for divisional leadership.
Now, the test will be to maintain that momentum in the Gran Premio Nacional (G1), scheduled in just over a month over the demanding 2,500-meter course at the same venue. The five additional furlongs will introduce a fresh set of questions, both for the newly crowned classic winner and for those seeking redemption.
While the Triple Crown will go unclaimed once again, the classic division has gained a compelling new leader that demands a full reevaluation of the division. Abrileño Fever has already demonstrated how dramatically he can improve from one race to the next. In the Nacional, he will aim to prove whether this leap in performance can carry him to dominance over the grueling marathon distance.
