Eduardo Ortega Pavón Secures a Special Triumph Aboard Sabiyano

The jockey delivered a brilliant performance aboard the son of Fortify, who was recently acquired by Jesús Campos, a prominent Paraguayan owner

LA PLATA.- There are racecourses that are never forgotten. No matter how the calendar changes, which tracks dominate the statistics, or where new opportunities arise, a special place always remains. For Eduardo Ortega Pavón, that venue is the Hipódromo de La Plata. It was there that he took his first steps as a jockey and secured his very first victory, and this Thursday he returned to celebrate a significant triumph, guiding Sabiyano for the first time to a clinical victory in the Clásico 9 de Julio - Día de la Independencia (G3-1,600m, dirt).

The assignment was far from simple. The son of Fortify was defending the title he captured last season and was switching riders for this high-profile commitment. However, Ortega Pavón read the race shape to perfection, adhered strictly to the pre-race strategy, and when the time came to ask for his final effort, he received a resolute response from a horse that once again proved the Bosque is one of his favorite playing fields.

"I haven't been riding at La Plata as often lately, but these things go in cycles. Now the big stakes races are coming up... Regarding the race, we had discussed with the trainer that there were two strong pacesetters, and then another one joined them, which allowed us to bide our time according to plan. When he launched his bid, he finished full of run and won very comfortably," the Paraguayan rider explained to Daniel Sinegub for the local television broadcast, thoroughly satisfied with a ride that unfolded exactly as anticipated.

The victory carried profound personal meaning for Ortega Pavón due to the setting. His journey in Argentine racing began precisely at the Bosque, a track he knows down to the smallest detail and where he always feels at home.

"My story began here in La Plata because I attended the jockey school here, started riding here, and won my first race here; I know it very well. I always say the short stretch suits me because I'm a bit of an aggressive rider, but I'm in a great spot, I feel fantastic, and the horses are really running for me," he commented, reflecting on an excellent run of form in his career.

The triumph also carried a distinct Paraguayan flavor. Beyond Ortega Pavón, Sabiyano's owner, Jesús Campos, also hails from the neighboring country. The connection between the two has strengthened over recent seasons, and the jockey shared how the partnership developed, ultimately culminating in this latest stakes success.

"The owner of the horse is a highly respected Paraguayan gentleman. At the end of last year, I went to ride over there, we spoke, and he wanted me to ride his horses, but they had been assigned low weights and I couldn't make the scale. He told me he really liked Sabiyano, and we purchased him. We have a great relationship, and he frequently brings me over to ride there," he related.

Thus, on an afternoon filled with symbolism, Sabiyano reaffirmed his class with a second consecutive victory in the Clásico 9 de Julio (G3), while Ortega Pavón demonstrated he needed only one dynamic partnership to understand the veteran miler completely. And, as if destiny sought to bring his career full circle, he accomplished it at the very racetrack that launched a journey that continues to deliver standout chapters across the country's premier venues.