Farewell to Labrado’s Record, Hello to Le Cornette’s Time

The three-time champion couldn’t keep up with the new division leader, who captured the Clásico Paraguay (G3) in dominant fashion

e Cornette Bolted to the Lead and Controlled the Race / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

By Diego H. Mitagstein

The tremendous anticipation surrounding the Clásico Paraguay (G3-1000 m, dirt)—the highlight of Monday’s card at the Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo—was answered in emphatic fashion, as Le Cornette stamped himself as the division’s top sprinter.

Unstoppable, the Emmanuel colt dashed the hopes of three-time champion Labrado (Le Blues) and put a decisive halt to Bailarín de Venecia’s (Angiolo) rise with a performance that demanded applause.

Everything Le Cornette had shown in late June, when he captured the Gran Premio Estrellas Sprint (G1), was amplified in this masterful display. Splitting the field in two from the start, he made clear the gap between himself and his rivals, establishing himself as the undisputed leader of the division.

The chestnut raced everywhere, dueling early with Bailarín de Venecia before dispatching him with ease at mid-race. He then drew away without the slightest effort, crossing the wire five lengths clear in a final time of 57.55 seconds—by far the fastest of the day—on a track slower than usual due to dry conditions, with rain finally expected today.

The outsider Exclamación Pass (Distinctiv Passion) rallied strongly along the inside to claim second, half a length ahead of Oro Azteca (Empire Aztec), who capitalized on the misfortune of several favorites to earn a valuable placing. Bailarín de Venecia faded to fourth, undone by the winner’s relentless pace.

And Labrado? His bid to set a record and become the first horse to win the same race four times ended prematurely. Though he did not start poorly, he never found the drive that had defined his seven Grade I victories. Finishing sixth, he registered his first off-the-board effort of his career, signaling that the peak of his competitive life may be behind him. At six, Labrado has now suffered four consecutive defeats—a first in his career—and his influence appears to be waning. When a horse speaks on the track, the message is clear.

“He’s a machine and showed again he can win by multiple lengths. I’m very happy and grateful to the horse’s team. I dedicate this to the family and everyone who supports us. All four times I’ve ridden him, we’ve won, so I’m very pleased,” said winning jockey Emanuel Jairo Flores on local TV, beaming with joy.

Compact and powerful, Le Cornette seems to have finally found the consistency that eluded him for much of his career. A colt of remarkable talent, he captured the Clásico Congreve (L) at two, and has featured prominently in races such as the Luro (G2), Chevalier (G2), Sprint Junior (G3) at the Estrellas, and the Eduardo Jara.

Since taking on the colors of Stud Chajarí, he has lost only once in official company this season, finishing fourth in the Handicap Resuello. Otherwise, it’s been nothing but wins and celebrations for the grandson of The Leopard, from the outstanding Margot (Advocate) family, with the swift La Copera (Good Manners) as his fourth dam.