El Estimado Takes Another Step Forward, Dominates Che Vivi in Handicap Advocate

The son of Il Campione, entering off two consecutive allowance victories, justified his favoritism by finishing 3 lengths ahead of his closest rival

El Estimado Cruises to Decisive Victory / HAPSA

High temperatures, humidity, and rain that came and went—at one point, a deluge soaked the paddock while only a drizzle fell at the grandstand, all against the backdrop of a spectacular rainbow. Amidst this climatic back-and-forth, Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo held an atypical racing card this Thursday, one that saw a poor economic performance, confirming how counterproductive schedule changes are for the nation's main tracks, leaving much-needed revenue on the table during difficult times.

A mere 376,237,037 pesos passed through the windows throughout the day, with a per-race average of 31,353,086—nearly 20 percent below the usual handle seen when the doors open at Avenida del Libertador and Dorrego on Mondays or Fridays. Why persist with this political foolishness?

On the track, the highlight came in the Handicap Advocate (1400m, dirt), where El Estimado (56 kg) confirmed the promise he had shown in the allowance ranks with a perfect first step into stakes company.

Ridden by Juan Cruz Villagra, the son of Il Campione didn’t take long to seize the lead, establishing a firm position. Once in the stretch, Che Vivi (Manipulator, 56 1/2) drew even and even threatened to pass him, but the chestnut kept digging in, neutralized his rival's charge, and ultimately pulled away to win by 3 lengths in 1:24.01. The time is a clear symptom of how demanding the Buenos Aires dirt has become due to the lack of water.

Another 3 lengths back, Bienhechor (Hurricane Cat, 56 1/2) finished third, with Approval Cat (Endorsement, 58 1/2)in fourth, a further 8 lengths behind. Payucano (Mask, 60), the inexplicable topweight, was a non-starter.

Racing for Stud Fragueiro and trained by the effective Miguel Cafere, El Estimado secured his fourth win in 7 starts, his last three coming consecutively. Now 4 years old, he shows positive signs with every new challenge, and envisioning him in middle-distance stakes in the near future is far from a utopia.