Che Vivi digs deep for gritty victory in Especial Val D'Or
- Turf Diario
- hace 1 hora
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The son of Manipulator snapped a long string of minor placings, defeating Western Orpen over the San Isidro dirt track
The Handicap Val D'Or, the mile feature on Wednesday's low-key card at the Hipódromo de San Isidro, provided a beautiful spectacle on the dirt track. Victory went to Che Vivi, who, carrying the top weight of 60kg, managed to snap a long string of seven consecutive minor placings, which included six runner-up finishes.
Showing immense grit, the son of Manipulator defeated a courageous Western Orpen (Orpen, 56) by a half-head, after the latter had set the pace from the start. Tryman (Safety Check) rallied strongly to complete the trifecta just another half-head back, stopping the clock in a competitive 1:36.16 over the fast main track.
Ridden by Gonzalo Borda, the Stud Montana bay, trained by Marcelo Sueldo, had to work extremely hard to wear down an opponent that sold his defeat dearly. Che Vivi had joined Western Orpen early in the stretch, but the race was only decided in a bobbing heads finish at the wire.
In contrast, the performance of Buen Escosés (Bodemeister, 58) was disappointing; returning to a level where he had previously shone after a few G1 appearances, he could only finish eighth, beaten more than 11 lengths.
Bred out of the highly productive American mare Union Campo (Dixie Union), Che Vivi is a half-brother to top-level winners Idalino (Pleasantly Perfect) and Besitos (Cima de Triomphe). The winner’s granddam is the unforgettable champion Campagnarde (Oak Dancer), a Las Ortigas product who won at the G1 level in Argentina before captured a G1 stakes victory in North America, where she also proved to be an exceptional producer.
