Son of Champion Hi Happy scores emotional gate-to-wire victory for La Providencia team
By Diego H. Mitagstein
The G1 season got off to a spectacular start Saturday at San Isidro, where the impressive victory of Grezzo touched the hearts of many. Watching the son of one of Argentina’s best horses in recent years rise to the top was a special moment, and for those who remember Hi Happy (Pure Prize), it was almost like seeing him run all over again.
The resemblance is striking—the way he moves, his running style… It’s a tall order to surpass what his sire accomplished under the blue and yellow silks of the Depieri family, but La Providencia’s new star is getting closer.
The team will soon be heading to Saudi Arabia to watch Giustino (Full Mast) compete in the G3 Saudi Derby, but before that, they were gifted a moment of pure racing joy—the kind that dreams are made of and that are so difficult to turn into reality.
Racing has a way of coming full circle, creating moments like this. And when it comes to Hi Happy and anything related to him, it will always feel like Valentine’s Day.
Bred by La Providencia, Hi Happy became a champion on Argentine soil before heading to the United States, where he added a G1 victory and a Breeders’ Cup appearance to his résumé—all after overcoming tendon issues. His engine was second to none.
Now standing at Haras Vacación, Hi Happy has already produced four G1 winners: Unico Happy, Happy Happy Day, Just Be Happy—who also raced for La Providencia—and now Grezzo, a rising star solidifying his place among Argentina’s elite. Time has been a key factor in refining his imposing 544-kilo frame into a powerhouse.
Trained by José Luiz Correa Aranha, Grezzo had previously captured the G3 Provincia de Buenos Aires and the G3 Botafogo, before finishing a respectable eighth in the G1 Pellegrini. But this time, he truly delivered, taking control from the break and proving that the older horses can no longer afford to give a 3-year-old such a head start this late in the season.
On a still-slightly-soft track—officially labeled as "fast"—Grezzo broke on top, with Eduardo Ortega Pavón settling him into a rhythm to conserve energy. In the stretch, he showed both grit and stamina to fend off all challengers.
With fractions of 27.00, 51.84, and 1:15.57, it was hard to imagine any rival closing in on a leader of his class. Hesitation often leads to missed opportunities, and once in front of the grandstand, Grezzo stretched out courageously. Honest Boy (Heliostatic) gave his all to reel him in but fell short—though he did erase his misstep in the Pellegrini, once again finishing runner-up in a G1 over 2000 meters on turf, just as he did in the G1 Jockey Club.
At the wire, three-quarters of a length separated the top three. Crazy Talent (Equal Talent), the favorite, completed the trifecta four lengths back, never posing a real threat when it counted. Another neck behind, Epityrum (Portal del Alto) finished fourth, with Acento Final (Treasure Beach) in fifth, another 1 1/2 lengths adrift, far from expectations. The final time of 2:01.62 was solid, reflecting the track conditions.
A Pedigree Built for Success
Grezzo’s pedigree blends the two most influential bloodlines of La Providencia—his sire Hi Happy on top, and Griffe de Paris (Telescópico) on the bottom. His dam, Gringa Unica (Orpen), is a granddaughter of the exceptional Brazilian mare who produced multiple G1 winners, including Global Hunter (Jade Hunter), Genereux (French Deputy), and Lady de Paris (Nugget Point). She also figures in the lineage of champion Ollagua (Pure Prize) and G1 winners Greta G (Exchange Rate), Touriga (Put It Back), and Una Beleza (Signal Tap).
Grezzo’s victory in the G1 Gran Premio Miguel A. Martínez de Hoz was more than just another top-level win. Beyond the prestige of securing a G1 title, it carried deep sentimental value, once again proving the old racing adage: in the name of the father.
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