Havana Cigar, Pure Class in the Derby Paulista at Cidade Jardim

The son of Can the Man drew off by 6 1/4 lengths over Zandor to capture São Paulo’s most important race of the year for 3-year-olds

For Havana Cigar, the Derby Paulista Proved Almost Too Easy / ALEX FOTOGRAFÍA / JCSP

SÃO PAULO, Brazil (Special for Turf Diario)—On a perfect afternoon at Cidade Jardim, the 3-year-olds took center stage in Saturday’s traditional Grande Prêmio Derby Paulista (G1), contested over a demanding 2400 meters on firm turf—the third leg of the quádrupla coroa for colts. And it was there that Havana Cigar, a son of Can the Man out of Havana Club (Vettori), bred by Haras Old Friends and racing for Haras Fazenda Boa Vista, delivered the kind of performance that raises heart rates: a clinic of authority, composure, and acceleration, powering home by 6 1/4 lengths over the grey Zandor (Synchrony).

The race featured shifting tactics right from the start. On the first pass by the stands, Tiradentes (Adriano) set the early tempo, but soon ceded the lead to his stablemate Terteboro (Adriano), who controlled the run into the first turn. Tiradentes then dueled for second with Occupant (Hofburg), while Havana Cigar traveled comfortably in fourth along the rail, followed by Objeto Final (Emcee).

With the pace modest, the complexion changed again at the end of the backstretch when Occupant made an aggressive move to the front, dragging along Tyson (Salto) and Objeto Final, who became his closest pursuers. At that point, a confident Ruberlei Viana refused to get involved in the scramble, keeping the favorite relaxed in sixth as the field straightened for home.

The moment of truth came quickly. As Terteboro tried to pressure Occupant, Havana Cigar launched his defining move—wide, traveling on the six path, unleashing a devastating run at the 400-meter mark. With a long, fluid, powerful stride, he inhaled the leaders in a matter of seconds and left them with no response. From there to the finish, it was a procession.

In one of the most emphatic Derby Paulista victories in recent memory, Zandor completed the exacta, while Horseman(Drosselmeyer) finished third. Terteboro and Mozart Music (Goldikovic) rounded out the paid positions. Behind them came, in order: Occupant, Terapeuta, Nandalus (Drosselmeyer), Humble Hero (Drosselmeyer), René Magritte(Setembro Chove), Flexão (Sangarius), Objeto Final, Tyson, and Tiradentes. Indiana Star (Vera da Vinci) was withdrawn at the gate.

For trainer Emerson Garcia, the result bordered on perfection: he saddled the winner, the runner-up, and the fifth-place finisher, underscoring the exceptional moment his stable is enjoying. Havana Cigar now boasts three wins—his first at the graded level—from just five career starts, having finished fourth in the G1 Grande Prêmio Ipiranga and third in the G1 Grande Prêmio Jockey Club de São Paulo. Making his first attempt at a mile and a half, he stopped the clock in 2:26.75, a time that further validates his status as a colt of real substance.

A Derby that found in Havana Cigar a superior-level protagonist—one clearly destined for even greater challenges ahead.