Herd Immunity Digs Deep in Comeback Victory, Eyes Stakes Return
- Turf Diario
- Jan 15
- 2 min read
Top-Weight Daughter of Forge Takes Handicap Lombardo Gate-to-Wire
The return of Herd Immunity could not have been more encouraging. Carrying the top weight of 58 1/2 kilos (approx. 129 lbs), the high-quality daughter of Forge captured Wednesday’s Handicap Lombardo (1800m, dirt), the feature race at San Isidro. In doing so, she justified the top pick from Turf Diario and returned a generous dividend of $4.30.
Following a nearly 6-month layoff, the Stud Volver al Futuro mare—representing the colors made famous by champion Irwin (Seek Again)—looked fit, resilient, and game. Dropping in class after competing at the graded level, she found an ideal partner in jockey Francisco Lavigna, who skillfully rated the pace and, when it came time to dig in, successfully repelled the challenge launched by William Pereyra aboard Gigantografía (Bodemeister, 57).
Herd Immunity broke into a gallop, and when the initial split posted a slow :25.82, it was clear that snatching the lead from her would be a tall order. Playa Chopera (Treasure Beach, 53) followed closely but timidly, failing to pressure while trying to capitalize on the soft fractions.
The order remained largely unchanged until the homestretch. After clocking the 800 meters in :49.98, Herd Immunityopened up a two-length lead. By the 400-meter mark, she was forced to go to work to withstand the outside surge of Gigantografía. For a moment, it appeared the challenger might get the upper hand, but the leader fought back bravely. Francisco Lavigna guided her slightly toward mid-track, though never crossing into her rival's path.
At the wire, it was a head victory for the bay presented by Angel D. Pérez, with Gneisenau (Winning Prize, 50)finishing third, 2 1/2 lengths back. The favorite, South Briole (South Kissing, 57 1/2), lacked a response this time and finished fifth. The final time was 1:49.59 over the loose surface.
Bred by Triple Alliance, Herd Immunity now boasts 5 wins from 12 starts, including 2 at the stakes level. She now appears poised to challenge the top distaffers once again in a category that is currently wide open and undergoing a transition.
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