he son of Bodemeister edged out Hop On and Don Rocky by half a length and a neck to secure the most significant victory of his campaign
El Gazpacho had come close on several occasions to becoming a different winner, and finally, on Wednesday, he achieved that milestone. The victory came in the Handicap Whipper In, the feature race of the day at San Isidro Racecourse, contested over 1400 meters on a heavy auxiliary dirt track.
On a day with a shortened card due to the delayed payment of purses —an issue now seemingly on the path to resolution—the son of Bodemeister claimed a courageous win in a tightly contested race, where three of the five runners hit the wire separated by just half a length.
With Francisco Leandro in the irons and carrying the lightest impost of the field at 55 1/2 kilos, the Stud La Frontera representative displayed grit to secure a hard-fought victory. Hop On (Endorsement, 56 1/2) gave him a stern challenge on the inside in the closing stages after shaking off the early pacesetter Dom Mario (Midshipman, 59), who drifted outward in the stretch, deliberately cutting off El Gazpacho’s path and forcing him to lose ground.
Once Francisco Leandro was able to fully drive him, and with Dom Mario fading, El Gazpacho had enough power to fend off a determined Hop On, who battled along the worst part of the track, defeating him by half a length. Just a neck behind, and gaining ground between the two, Don Rocky (Equal Stripes, 56) finished third.
Dom Mario ended up fourth, 1 1/2 lengths behind, while the topweight Río Felipín (Grand Reward, 59 1/2) completed the field another five lengths back. The race was clocked in a solid 1:22.67, with fractions of 23.94, 46.68, and 1:10.21.
Bred by Haras La Pasión, this marked the fourth victory in 16 starts for El Gazpacho, who is trained by Nicolás Martín Ferro. Out of Gazpacha (Not for Sale), a half-sister to G2 winner Galán de Cine (Successful Appeal), El Gazpacho hails from a distinguished family that includes the remarkable Gorgeous (Slew O’Gold), a top-class performer in the United States and a rival of the legendary Bayakoa (Consultant’s Bid) during the Argentine mare’s dominance in the North American distaff ranks.
Comments