In Front of a Crowd, Suffok Emerges as the Hero of the Gran Premio Batalla de Tucumán

The son of Forge and Strike Reward wired the field from start to finish in the marquee event at the Jardín de la República

The Gran Premio Batalla de Tucumán unfolded in a race brimming with excitement

SAN MIGUEL DE TUCUMÁN, Tucumán (Special for Turf Diario).- The 2025 edition of the Gran Premio Batalla de Tucumán (2200 meters, dirt, 16,000,000 pesos to the winner) delivered a spectacle full of drama, with packed grandstands and palpable passion framing the province’s most important race of the year—one of the standout events on the interior racing calendar.

The afternoon featured notable names on the track, including icon Jorge Ricardo and his peers Pedro Robles, Gustavo Calvente, William Pereyra, Osvaldo Alderete, and Jorge Peralta. But the star of the show was 5-year-old Suffok, who stamped himself as the best horse in the province with a commanding wire-to-wire victory.

A son of Forge and Strike Reward (Grand Reward), bred by Heritage Bloodstock SA and owned by L.C.J., Suffok set the pace from the outset, controlling every challenge from his rivals. Facundo Morán guided him under the preparation of Lázaro Noguera Assad.

The bay, who angled wide in the stretch, crossed the wire a half-neck ahead of Dr. Legasov (Catcher In the Rye), who was attempting to repeat his triumph from 12 months ago. Laudrup (Hurricane Cat) completed the trifecta three-quarters of a length back, in a final time of 2:18 1/5.

Suffok, already a two-time winner at the highest level, came in off a victory in the Clásico 110mo. Aniversario de la Caja Popular de Ahorros and confirmed his quality here, opening intriguing possibilities for the future—perhaps a return to central tracks or a run in races such as the Gran Premio Vicente Dupuy (G3) at La Punta in San Luis.

“Everyone waits all year for this classic, and I dreamed of winning it since I started. Seeing him cross the finish line first was unique. He was very well and responded to the works. I want to dedicate this victory to the entire stud team,” Facundo Morán told Tucumán’s Canal 8, visibly moved by the achievement.

The day in Tucumán also featured a pair of other stakes. In the Estrellas Tucumanas (1500 meters, dirt) for 4-year-olds and up, Storm Chuck (Chuck Berry – Stormy Marcela, by Bernstein, Haras La Catedral de Palermo) took the win. Meanwhile, in the Clásico Fundación Equina Argentina – Copa Carreras de las Estrellas (1400 meters, dirt) for 3-year-olds, Smiling Nich (Nicholas – Agustina’s Smile, by Pure Prize, Haras Cortines) crossed first.