Ataka ignores the weight and keeps winning handicaps

The daughter of Señor Candy has now taken the Carapálida, defeating Rumba Feroz by 1 1/2 lengths while carrying 60 1/2 units in the saddle

Ataka and another solid victory on the Palermo dirt / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

Ataka (60 1/2 kg) is a true professional in the handicap ranks, and this Monday on the dirt at the Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo, she reaffirmed it with a convincing victory in the Carapálida (1,200 m). This was the highlight of another forgettable meeting in a January that has generally been dreadful in terms of overall quality.

Now well into her 5-year-old season, the daughter of Señor Candy outclassed younger rivals to secure her fourth win in this category and her second in a row, having previously taken El Centauro over the same distance and surface.

Pablo Carrizo knows the chestnut’s abilities to perfection; she has become mature and very tractable, allowing the jockey to decide where to position her. This time, he settled her in second-to-last place after a start where she appeared to lack some agility.

While the winner was getting comfortable, Naimabad (Il Campione, 55) set the pace through fractions of 24s02/100 and 47s04/100. Entering the home stretch, Sir Limonada (Lencelot, 52) briefly took the lead as Ataka loomed on the outside, stalking the pace and waiting for the right moment to unleash her charge.

From the 300-meter mark, Carrizo stepped on the gas and the Stud Puey representative responded brilliantly, kicking strongly to take control in the final furlong. She comfortably held off the late, sweeping run of Rumba Feroz (Hurricane Cat, 52 1/2), who rallied from last place to finish as the runner-up, 1 1/2 lengths back.

Another half-length behind, Sir Limonada took third, while the favorite Bichita de Luz (Fragotero, 61) disappointed, crossing the line in fourth, 5 lengths off the winner. The winning time was 1m12s29/100, a symptom of how demanding the Palermo dirt continues to be.

Bred by the late Haras de La Pomme and out of the generous—both in breeding and on the track—Takahuita (Mutakddim), Ataka now has 7 victories in 14 starts, with earnings of 42,647,500 pesos. Of those wins, 4 have come at the handicap level. The weights keep rising, yet she adjusts and continues to deliver results, suggesting she could return to the headlines very soon at this level.