Le Cornette didn’t fire, and Bailarín de Venecia took command

The Angiolo colt showed his best form in the Clásico Cyllene (G2), with the favorite struggling on the turf

Bailarín de Venecia was a steamroller from the 200 meters out to the wire / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

It has been a long time since the older sprinter division has been as wide open as it is now. Luthier Blues (Le Blues) and Labrado (Le Blues) had set the standard in recent years—with the occasional interlude—but the retirement of the former and the recent dip in form of the three-time champion left the division wide open.

Le Cornette (Emmanuel) stepped into the spotlight with standout performances in the Gran Premio Ciudad de Buenos Aires (G1) and the Clásico Paraguay (G3) over Palermo’s dirt, but back on the always testing yielding turf at Hipódromo de San Isidro, his dominance evaporated in an instant.

The well-known Chacorta de la Calle struggled and crossed the line second-to-last in the Clásico Cyllene (G2-1000m), while Bailarín de Venecia delivered his best performance to register a decisive victory, instantly positioning himself among the leading contenders for next month’s Gran Premio Suipacha (G1).

In the center of the track, Le Cornette fought for the early lead with Ruler Man (Lenovo), while Kevin Banegas kept Bailarín de Venecia well-positioned, away from the early duel, patiently assessing the race and plotting his move.

As the fractions clicked—22.63 for the opening quarter and 45.27 for the half— the early leaders canceled each other out, and that’s when the Angiolo colt began to assert himself, taking control at the 200-meter mark and drawing away with authority from there to the wire.

The finish saw the Stud El Perejil runner cross six lengths clear of Hiran (Santillano), who came from further back to produce another strong effort; the outsider Land of Promise (Le Blues) snuck into third by a neck, with Ruler Man half a neck behind in fourth, all in 58.30—slightly faster than the 58.51 posted earlier by La Gran Furtiva (South Kissing) in the Clásico Condesa (G3).

Bred by Haras Tres Jotas and conditioned by Walter Suárez and María F. Alvarez, Bailarín de Venecia showed that when he’s at his best, he is fearless—and now he has his sights set on his first G1 victory.