El Ernesto, a model of consistency who unleashed a formidable stretch run to win the Orange once again
The son of Señor Candy repeated his triumph of twelve months ago in the San Isidro stakes event, coming from well off the pace to score an authoritative victory; his extraordinary consistency projects him as one of the prime contenders for the Clásico Joaquín V. González (G1) at La Plata
When El Ernesto (59 1/2 kg) began making up ground down the home straight in the Clásico Orange (L-1400m, dirt), the frontrunners looked to be running in a race of their own. Far, far behind lay the son of Señor Candy, while upfront they were scorching the track at a breakneck pace. Yet the dark bay possesses a priceless virtue: he never surrenders. And when he finds his stride, his stretch run can prove devastating. That was precisely how on Friday he reclaimed the very stakes title he had won twelve months ago, confirming a truly admirable consistency.
The feature event of the afternoon at Hipódromo de San Isidro unfolded exactly as anticipated through the opening fractions. Concord (Remote, 58) broke with intent to set the pace, with Yak Sport (Glory Seattle, 57) applying relentless pressure. The split times were blistering: 22s63/100 for the opening 400 meters and 44s72/100 for the 800. It was a brutal early tempo that would eventually take its toll, all while El Ernesto traveled last, detached from the field, biding his time.
Kevin Méndez knows Víctor Villanueva's pupil inside out and once again displayed extraordinary patience. He remained unperturbed by the huge gap separating him from the leaders and refrained from asking for an early effort. Only upon hitting the 500-meter mark did he begin to call on his mount, steering wide to find the necessary running room to launch his lethal late surge.
The response was spectacular. El Ernesto devoured ground with impressive power while the frontrunners struggled to sustain their momentum. Rallying out wide and gaining ground with every stride, he finally collared the leaders inside the final 50 meters, hitting the wire with a length-and-a-half advantage over a game Yak Sport, who stayed on bravely after setting the contested pace.
Stormy River (Le Blues, 54) finished third, just a half-head behind the runner-up, with Concord fourth by a nose, paying the ultimate price for his taxing early exertion. Fifth, 3 lengths off the winner, was the favorite Talented Hit(Hit It a Bomb), whose performance left a cloud of concern hanging over his camp.
The dark bay was actively making up ground when, with approximately 350 meters remaining, he appeared to take a bad step. His action immediately raised alarms, leading jockey Eduardo Ortega Pavón to ease off and not press him over the final furlong. Time will tell if he suffered a physical setback, though the sight certainly caused concern.
For El Ernesto, however, it was yet another display of lasting brilliance that deserves every praise. Bred by Haras La Pasión, the dark bay is a true model of consistency. He hasn't missed the board since last year's Gran Premio Joaquín S. de Anchorena (G1), and across his 12 starts this season, his worst finish has been a fifth-place effort.
Along that stretch he has accumulated 3 stakes victories: the Clásico 25 de Mayo de 1810 (G2), the Clásico Carlos Pellegrini, and now the Orange, where he duplicated his 2025 triumph. During that prior campaign, he had also captured the Especial Talavera and Especial Ondine, forging a career defined above all by durability and class.
While his last two appearances in the Anchorena failed to yield top results, that hardly blemishes a formidable track record. At 7 years of age, he continues to race with his signature enthusiasm, delivering winning responses whenever the class level rises.
Now, all signs point toward his next primary target: the Clásico Joaquín V. González (G2) at Hipódromo de La Plata, one of the signature events on the calendar for top milers, where he is certain to rank among the primary contenders for classic glory.
His bloodlines offer plenty to admire as well. El Ernesto is by Señor Candy out of the American-bred mare Es Bonita(Dynaformer), whose second dam, Esther Rose (Seeking the Gold), is a half-sister to Orpen (Lure)—an extraordinary sire who left a profound mark on South American breeding as both a champion sire and champion broodmare sire.
At this point, El Ernesto has nothing left to prove. He races frequently, rarely misfires, and maintains an astonishing level of competitiveness. In the Clásico Orange, he delivered another one of those seemingly impossible stretch rallies, coming from dead last to turn a massive deficit into an authoritative victory. A clockwork runner, indeed—and one that never forgets the time to win.
Comments