El Epecuen, a Horse That Deserves More and Is Starting to Demand It
- Turf Diario
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
With an impressive effort in the Handicap Juan Bautista Udaondo, El Epecuen (Il Campione) returned to the winner’s circle, leaving the clear impression that bigger things could be on the horizon – if his health holds up
Health has never truly been an ally for El Epecuen (Il Campione), yet every time he steps onto the track, he finds a way to remind everyone that class often overcomes any obstacle. After a promising runner-up effort off the layoff, the bay trained by Miguel Cafere shone brightly on Thursday at Palermo, capturing the Handicap Juan Bautista Udaondo (1400m, dirt) with authority. The race honored one of Argentina’s most brilliant trainers.
A debut winner over none other than El Kodigo (Equal Stripes) – who went on to become a major champion – El Epecuen’s career has been marked by long breaks, the result of an injury sustained when he contested the 2023 Gran Premio Gran Criterium (G1).
In this latest comeback, and returning to his favorite distance, the son of Il Campione added another win to his resume, reigniting hopes that a stakes victory – the glaring omission from his record – could soon arrive for a horse of his quality.
Carrying top weight of 60 kilos (132 lbs), jockey Juan Cruz Villagra sent El Epecuen straight to the lead as the gates opened, and from that point the race was essentially over. Super Blessed (Super Saver) tried to apply pressure but had nothing left for the stretch. Once heads turned for home, the leader quickly disposed of his challenger and drew off under mild urging to score by 3 lengths over Flying to the Sky (Señor Candy), who rallied for second. Another length back came the veteran Tsunami Key (Key Deputy) in third.
The final time was 1:23.80 after fractions of 24.91, 47.54 and 1:10.54, a testament to the strong pace he set throughout.
Bred by Haras El Paraíso, El Epecuen is the best runner to date out of Irishness (Intérprete). His record now stands at 5 wins from 10 starts, with earnings of 23,347,000 pesos, never finishing off the board. May health be kinder in this new stage of his career, as he is one of those horses that truly deserve their moment in the sun.
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