Happy Happy Day Set for Another Shot in the U.S.
- Turf Diario
- Jul 28
- 1 min read
Argentine G1 Winner Happy Happy Day to Contest Ellis Park Allowance on Turf
HENDERSON, Kentucky (Special for Turf Diario).- Will the third time be the charm for Happy Happy Day on American soil? The question will be answered this afternoon, as the Argentine-bred lines up in Race 9 at Ellis Park, an allowance optional claiming event worth $50,000 with a total purse of $104,000, to be run over 1700 meters on turf.
Winner of the G1 Gran Premio Jockey Club in 2023 at San Isidro, the Stud Las Monjitas runner is hoping to turn the page after a pair of underwhelming efforts at Churchill Downs. Now switching venues, he’ll be guided by Luan Machado and is trained by Brazilian-born Paulo Lobo, a proven team in North America.
The son of Hi Happy drew post 10 and is listed at 20-1 on the morning line. Likely favorite Quatrocento (War Front), trained by Fausto Gutiérrez for St. George Stable LLC, comes off a victory over this same course and in similar company.
Among the key threats to Happy Happy Day are Clyde’s Got a Gun (Gun Runner), runner-up last time out at Churchill, along with Army Officer (Not This Time) and Camaro Z (Liam’s Map).
Although far removed from his top form, there’s still hope that Happy Happy Day can rediscover the spark that lit up San Isidro nearly a year ago.
Comments