Look Portal Digs Deep to Extend Winning Streak in Clásico Stud Book Argentino

In a tight finish, he led a 1-2 for sire Portal del Alto, edging Best Portal by half a neck

Look Portal (outside) Kept Best Portal at Bay the Length of the Stretch / HLP

LA PLATA.- Look Portal (Portal del Alto) continued to move forward toward the G1 Gran Premio Dardo Rocha, adding another important stop along the way with a gritty victory in Tuesday’s Clásico Stud Book Argentino (L-2200m, dirt) at La Plata.

The Haras Cachagua homebred had to dig in deep to turn back his paternal half-brother Best Portal (Portal del Alto), finally edging clear by just a half-neck after a stretch-long duel that left the rest well behind.

It was far from straightforward for the 5-year-old, who never looked entirely comfortable during the early stages. Mister Coquette (Bodemeister) set the fractions, but by the time the field hit the backstretch the five runners were tightly bunched, with Look Portal still last and being scrubbed along by Kevin Banegas. Swinging into the final bend, four of them lined up across the track and Banegas angled his mount widest, asking for everything.

The straight developed into a sustained head-to-head battle between the two sons of Portal del Alto, but Look Portal always had the upper hand, grinding out the verdict in 2:21.35 (splits 27.30, 52.56, 1:17.99, 1:42.77, 2:09.10).

Bred by María I. Solveyra and Patricio Donovan, and trained by Nicolás Martín Ferro, Look Portal is now a winner of 9 of 18 career starts, including 6 at the stakes level—4 of them black-type—and has reeled off three in succession.

The logical next step on the road to November 19 will be the G3 Organización Sudamericana del Pura Sangre de Carrera (2200m), set for October 21 at La Plata. Given his current form, turning him over in the south is looking increasingly difficult.