H. Graham Motion: “I think this will be a good starting point here for Cima de Areco”
- Turf Diario
- Oct 8
- 2 min read
The trainer of the Argentine gray filly shared with Daily Racing Form his expectations ahead of her U.S. debut this Thursday
LEXINGTON, Kentucky (Special for Turf Diario).- Patience, adaptation and ambition seem to have been the guiding principles for H. Graham Motion since Cima de Arecofirst arrived at his barn in the United States. This Thursday, the Argentine filly by Cima de Triomphe will make her long-awaited stateside debut in a 1 1/16-mile turf allowance at Keeneland, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the unbeaten four-time winner and heroine of the G1 Gran Premio Enrique Acebal.
“I’ve taken my time with her. I think this will be a good starting point,” Motion told Daily Racing Form in his characteristically calm and measured tone. “She’s probably a work or two away from being at her very best, but she’s done everything right in the mornings,” added the English-born trainer, long based in the U.S. and one of the most respected horsemen in the game.
A G1 Kentucky Derby winner with Animal Kingdom (Leroidesanimaux) and a multiple top-level victor on both sides of the Atlantic, Motion knows exactly what it takes to bring a South American mare to elite company. “I spoke with Ignacio Correas to understand the best way to help a horse adapt to the change in hemisphere,” he explained. “Time is key—a lot of time. She hasn’t run since November, and that’s allowed her to fully settle into her new environment.”
That patient approach has proven successful before. In recent years, several winners of the Gran Premio Enrique Acebal (G1) have found success in the Northern Hemisphere. Edict (Il Campione) is now stakes-placed in New York for David Donk; Bellagamba (Grand Reward) has held her own under Ignacio Correas; and the most famous of them all, Didia (Orpen), has become a Grade I winner and a true Argentine ambassador in the U.S.
Motion hopes Cima de Areco will follow that path. “She’s a very professional filly, with a great temperament and an easy way of adapting. That’s a big plus,” he said. “Everything suggests she’s ready to get back to the races, and Keeneland is a great place to start.”
Thursday’s race will be no soft landing, featuring a field of seasoned, well-traveled mares, but the trainer is confident the gray granddaughter of Candy Ride will let her class speak for itself. With several international runners entered, the allowance shapes up as a genuine test of talent—and the perfect opportunity to measure just how far Cima de Areco has come.
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