Burgess Shale, Unstoppable Again Despite Heavy Impost

The son of Safety Check kept his unbeaten record on the San Isidro dirt intact with a comfortable victory in the Handicap Gran Copa Rotary, shouldering 61 kilos

Burgess Shale tuvo un muy cómodo cierre / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

Racing often turns on small details, and for Burgess Shale it had become increasingly difficult to break through at the higher levels despite a résumé that more than justified a return to the winner’s circle. That changed a month ago with his switch to the dirt track at San Isidro, where he captured the Hcp. Picacero, and the chestnut doubled down Friday by annexing the Hcp. Gran Copa Rotary (1300m), the day’s feature.

Carrying a crushing 61 kilos, the son of Safety Check (Ire) delivered another emphatic performance, winning with ease and confirming that the inner track in the north suits his profile perfectly, where he remains unbeaten.

One noticeable factor in his turnaround has been a shift in tactics. Long prone to racing from too far back and often appearing uncomfortable in strung-out fields, Burgess Shale is now traveling closer to the pace and moving with greater fluency. Under the confident handling of jockey Martín Valle, he sits handy, pounces early, and sustains a relentless tempo that his rivals simply cannot match.

On this occasion, he allowed Señor Moon (E Dubai) (55) to carve out fractions of :23.73, :46.37 and 1:09.55 before sweeping past in the final furlong to score by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:15.78. Estero de Ibera (Il Campione) (61.5) chased in third under topweight, while Flying to the Sky (Señor Candy) (56) was less prominent than usual and settled for fourth, another two lengths adrift.

Bred by Haras El Turf, campaigning for El Chuchy and trained by Gustavo Romero, Burgess Shale is thriving at present and appears ready to test deeper waters as he aims to extend his dominant run into stakes company.