Creencia Espiritual Pulled Off an Upset in the Handicap Wally

The mare representing La Bertina pulled away to a 1 1/2-length victory over Calle de Tierra, topping a 1-2 sweep for sire Strategos in Wednesday's feature race at San Isidro

An unexpected result capped off the Handicap Wally (1,100 m, wet dirt track), the main event of another Wednesday card at Hipódromo de San Isidro, where Creencia Espiritual spearheaded a 1-2 finish for stallion Strategos by drawing away to a 1 1/2-length victory over Calle de Tierra (58 1/2 kg).

Taking full advantage of the light 52 1/2-kilo assignment allotted to her by the handicapper, the mare racing for Stud La Bertina proved that raw speed is her strong suit following a couple of unplaced attempts over longer trips.

With Francisco Lavigna in the irons, Creencia Espiritual produced a sharp turn of foot in the homestretch, blowing past race favorite Naimabad (Il Campione, 58 kg) and Calle de Tierra, who had contested the early pace side by side through solid fractions of :23.20 and :46.49.

By the 200-meter mark, the eventual winner had grabbed the lead from Naimabad before drawing clear to post her final margin of victory. Closing late, Calle de Tierra capitalized on the favorite's fading energy to secure the runner-up spot. The winning time of 1:03.65 was certainly commendable under the track conditions.

Saddled by Pablo Massaccesi, Creencia Espiritual is a maternal half-sister to G2 and G3 winner El Informado (Il Campione) and G3-placed A Simple Time (Angiolo), all out of Simple Story (Sebi Halo), who during her own racing career landed the Handicap Mat Boy and Handicap Gulf Stream.

Creencia Espiritual now boasts 3 wins from just 10 career starts, looking well-positioned to keep building on her upward trajectory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joO6iPZFE-A