Blue Caviar Overcomes Layoff With a Victory, Though Forced to Work Harder Than Expected by Faramond

With Votá Bien scratched from the lineup, the son of Equal Stripes showcased all of his class to defeat a game Faramond by half a length after a much tougher battle than anticipated

The scratching of Votá Bien (Hi Happy) appeared to leave the Clásico Malvinas Argentinas (L) over 2000 meters on dirt, one of the highlights of Monday's card at Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo, at the mercy of Blue Caviar, who was making his first start since his disappointing effort in the Gran Premio Nacional (G1).

Instead, the Haras Pozo de Luna homebred had to work harder than expected to achieve his objective, as Faramond (Il Mercato) took full advantage of the favorite's lack of recent racing and forced him into a much sterner test than anticipated.

In what became essentially a match race—Mufasa Spring (Greenspring), the only other runner, was eased entering the stretch after trailing throughout—the son of Equal Stripes displayed all of his class to add another stakes trophy to his résumé, just as he had done in 2025 when capturing the Coronel Miguel F. Martínez (G3) and Eduardo Casey (G2).

Always in front, Blue Caviar kept Faramond at bay when his rival launched a challenge in the stretch, reaching the wire with a half-length advantage and stopping the clock in a solid 2:03.24.

Mufasa Spring crossed the finish line under wraps some 52 lengths farther back.

“He's a horse we hold in very high regard and today he came back after a long layoff,” jockey Gustavo Calvente told Palermo television. “It looked like an ideal race for his return, but Faramond made him work. Still, he showed a lot of courage. This race will help put him back into rhythm. There wasn't much pace and leading wasn't really the plan, but I had to adapt. He's a true stayer, and this should set him up well for what comes next. Hopefully he'll continue to improve. I want to congratulate the entire team.”

Trained by Nicolás Martín Ferro and saddled by his father Enrique Ferro, Blue Caviar is a full brother to the recently deceased Blue Stripe and a half-brother to the outstanding Blue Prize (Pure Prize), all out of the tremendously influential Blues for Sale (Not for Sale).

With his comeback now behind him, Blue Caviar appears ready to tackle bigger assignments.

Could the Estrellas Classic (G1) on the turf at San Isidro be his next target? The question now seems entirely legitimate.