Blessed of Glory pulled off a massive upset in the Clásico Lamadrid, leaving everyone open-mouthed
Carrying a mere 52 kilograms with María Eugenia Schneider aboard, the daughter of Hat Ninja shocked the favorites over the 1,000-meter straight at San Isidro, storming to victory in a thrilling finish. Paying $42.25, she relegated Es Por Amor—recent winner of the Gran Premio Suipacha (G1)—to third
By Diego H. Mitagstein (Special correspondent for Turf Diario)
If the outstanding Sunday program at Hipódromo de San Isidro was missing anything, it was a major upset, and Blessed of Glory took care of that by capturing the Clásico Lamadrid (L-1000m, turf) at a generous $42.25 payout as one of the day's three black-type features. It was no ordinary victory, coming after an electric battle with four horses hitting the wire almost on a single line.
Few could have anticipated such an outcome. The daughter of Hat Ninja was coming off a seventh-place finish in the Handicap Jerry Honor and a sixth-place effort in the Clásico Etoile (L), performances that generated little enthusiasm against high-caliber opposition. However, carrying a mere 52 kilograms—one of the lightest assignments in the field—she found the ideal conditions to stage a formidable resurgence.
With María Eugenia Schneider in the irons, the Stud La Francia representative broke with determination to capitalize on her speed, grabbing the lead early on. Far from waiting around, she set the tempo for most of the way,forcing her rivals to chase her and maintaining a rhythm that would prove decisive.
The path to victory was far from simple. In the closing meters, as her reserves began to wane, the favorites surged forward to challenge for the win. Es Por Amor (Strategos), fresh off a triumph in the Gran Premio Suipacha (G1)and shouldering a heavy 62-kilogram burden, dove straight into the battle, while Camuflaje (Orpen, 59 1/2) also staked his claim. On the outside, Vendaval Joy (Roman Joy, 56 1/2) unleashed a massive late rally, threatening to sweep them all.
Yet Blessed of Glory had one final response. Just when it appeared she might be collared, she dug deep, dug in with immense bravery, and crossed the wire a head in front of Vendaval Joy. Barely half a head further back came Es Por Amor, while Camuflaje finished fourth, another head behind. A finish as tight as it was thrilling.
The clock stopped at 55.68 seconds for the kilometer, a sharp time that capped off a highly meritorious performance,though the weight spread clearly played a major role in the outcome. The 10-kilogram gap between the winner and Es Por Amor proved a significant advantage when the race was decided by such razor-thin margins.
Trained by Juan Pedro Giles, Blessed of Glory notched the fifth victory of her career and her first outside allowance ranks, executing a step up in class that few had predicted. Schneider, for her part, played a pivotal role, judging the front-running pace to perfection and riding her mount aggressively all the way to the wire.
The Lamadrid delivered one of those nail-biting finishes that will be remembered for quite some time. Es Por Amorcould not extend his winning streak, Vendaval Joy missed the ultimate prize by inches, and Camuflaje also came within a whisker of glory. But the celebration belonged to Blessed of Glory, who turned her recent form into a mere footnote and proved that in sprint racing, no surprise can ever be ruled out.
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