Dream Alliance restored Fazenda Mondesir to glory in the G1 Grande Prêmio São Paulo

A full brother to fellow G1 winner Cold Heart, who competed in the most recent edition of the G1 Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini, Dream Alliance shone over the turf at Cidade Jardim

Vagner Borges did the celebrating aboard Dream Alliance / JCSP

SAN PABLO, Brasil (Special for Turf Diario).- Dream Alliance delivered a stirring performance to restore Fazenda Mondesir to the top of Brazilian racing, capturing Sunday’s G1 Grande Prêmio São Paulo (2400mT) at Cidade Jardim, the marquee event on the São Paulo turf calendar. The win came exactly 40 years after Bretagne (St Chad) carried the same silks to victory in the same prestigious race.

It was a victory to remember—not only for the return to glory, but for the emphatic 1-2 finish for the iconic stable, as Bourgogne (Agnes Gold) turned in a bold front-running performance to complete the exacta, nearly pulling off the upset herself.

While Bourgogne dictated terms from the jump, Dream Alliance was content to trail the field early under Vagner Borges, who had previously taken this race in 2016 aboard Universal Law (Christine’s Outlaw). The tempo was honest, with Osten (Hofburg) pressing the leader, followed by Sugar Daddy (Wild Event), To Sir With Love (My Cherie Amour), and Tyrion (Salto) in close pursuit.

Saving ground throughout and never hurried, Dream Alliance remained under wraps until Borges angled him out for a stretch run that would turn the race on its head.

As the field straightened for home, Osten loomed up to Bourgogne, but the filly found more under pressure from Leandro Henrique, kicking clear again and momentarily looking home free. That was, until her stablemate appeared with a devastating late surge.

Sweeping down the center of the course, Dream Alliance stormed past the frontrunner in the final furlong to score by 1 1/4 lengths with authority and without a hint of doubt. Rick The Great (Going Somewhere) rallied for third, with Obataye (Courtier) and Reyes (Verrazano) rounding out the minor awards.

The remaining finishers were Tyrion, Chernozem (Forestry), Osten, Bubbly Rain (Setembro Chove), To Sir With Love, and Sugar Daddy.

For trainer Márcio Ferreira Gusso, one of Brazil’s winningest conditioners, the victory was a first in the Grande Prêmio São Paulo and marked a historic moment, as he became the first trainer based in Paraná to lift the trophy.

The win also marked a major step forward for Dream Alliance, who was making just the sixth start of his career. Previously, his lone victory had come in a 1400-meter allowance on the dirt last August. He entered the São Paulo off a third-place finish behind Bubbly Rain in the G3 Grande Prêmio 14 de Março, where he encountered trouble in the lane.

A full brother to Cold Heart, who contested the 2024 G1 Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini, Dream Alliance now boasts two wins from six starts, with Sunday’s effort his first at the stakes level—and a G1, no less.