La Cordial surged at the wire to spring an upset and deny Blessed Shine
Launching a wide late rally, the daughter of Santillano pulled off a surprise in the Clásico Jockey Club de Santa Fe; Joaquín Guida engineered the ride aboard the representative of Stud Maylower, who returned a $17.50 mutuel
LA PLATA.— With 200 meters left to run, La Cordial was not even in the picture. Up front, Blessed Shine (Honour Devil) had successfully opened up on her rivals and appeared to have the Clásico Jockey Club de Santa Fe (1700m, fast dirt) well in hand, serving as the featured support to the Gran Premio Selección de Potrancas (G1) during Saturday's card. Yet the race still held a turn of events as sudden as it was unexpected: out wide, the daughter of Santillano found the necessary momentum to arrive virtually on the wire and snatch the victory from the favorite.
It was a major surprise, the kind that forces a re-examination of the running to understand how a finish that seemed signed and sealed ended up changing hands. In that review, the duel that Blessed Shine sustained with Paxing (Señor Candy) and Mis Locuras (Manipulator) played a pivotal role. The favorite was forced to expend energy early on, and although she managed to gain command entering the lane, she ultimately paid for that exertion right when she needed to conserve fuel the most.
That was when La Cordial emerged, with Joaquín Guida riding a masterclass. The representative of Stud Mayflowermade up ground with a sustained late charge, capitalized on the tiring leader, and nailed her virtually on the line, just as the celebrations for those who had backed the favorite seemed ready to begin. A mere neck separated the two at the finish.
Conditioned by Aldo Díaz and bred by Haras Avourneen, the winner was coming off a fourth-place finish in an allowance event. That immediate running line went a long way toward explaining the $17.50 return she offered at the windows, though her past form had already included noteworthy efforts in handicap company. This time, she made the leap to stakes level with a closing kick that proved as timely as it was effective.
The race shape proved decisive, but it still required a horse to take advantage of it. La Cordial did just that under Guida's handling, saving her finest response for the exact moment when the early combatants were beginning to feel the strain.
For Blessed Shine, the result left the bitter taste of defeat after having done much of the heavy lifting, though, in truth, the distance appeared to stretch her stamina slightly.
For the winner, the reward for persevering until the final bound was the most significant victory of her career. The race that seemed well out of her reach 200 meters from home ultimately belonged to her.
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