Lucrecia Carabajal: the Unzué, El Fortín, Nina, and the day she soared high once again…

Twenty-four years after her lone previous G1, she wrote one of the most emotional chapters in recent Argentine racing history, capturing the international sprint and sharing the moment of glory with her daughter

Lucrecia Carabajal and Nina experienced a truly special afternoon / HSI

By Diego H. Mitagstein

In an afternoon already steeped in symbolism, the Gran Premio Félix de Alzaga Unzué (G1) delivered one of those moments that transcend the result and settle deep into the emotional memory of Argentine racing. There, on the turf at Hipódromo de San Isidro, Lucrecia Carabajal touched the sky once more—and she did so aboard El Fortín, but also, and above all, with her young daughter Nina in her arms, an unwitting protagonist and the visible heart of a scene that moved everyone.

The winningest jockey in the history of Argentine racing celebrated a Grade 1 victory again fully 24 years after her lone previous top-level success, when she guided Nova Era (Mutakddim) to glory in the Selección (G1) at La Plata. More than two long decades had passed since then—years filled with countless stories, comings and goings, and the marks of time—but also with an unwavering vocation that never dimmed.

The celebration carried special meaning thanks to Nina’s presence, as she experienced the moment with a mix of wonder, pride, and genuine happiness. “I feel so much emotion and joy, and I’m proud of my mom because we waited a long time to live this,” she said. “She works very hard for something so special that’s happening now, and it makes me very happy.” Her natural words disarmed everyone and completed a postcard that will long be remembered.

Lucrecia, trophy in hand and emotion still brimming, did not shy away from her feelings. Quite the opposite—she put them into words with disarming sincerity. “After Nina was born, we’re now living another moment of great fulfillment. We worked so hard just to get a photo together when I returned to riding, and the next goal was to win a G1 and lift the trophy together. And the opportunity came.”

She added, with the perspective that only years and experience can bring: “A lot of time has passed since I won the Selección at La Plata with Nova Era—24 years—but it’s never too late to achieve what you pursue with passion.”

That word—passion—runs through the core of her story. “I think that’s the key. Without passion there is no life, and this—racing—is the engine of my life, together with Nina, who pushes me to get up at six every morning to go ride horses like El Fortín. Nina is my teammate,” she said, making clear that this victory was not an isolated moment but the natural outcome of a path walked with conviction.

From a purely sporting standpoint, the win had its own unique nuances. Sharing the track with Frankie Dettori added another unforgettable layer to the day. “Riding alongside him the other day was a dream come true,” Lucrecia admitted, still incredulous, as she sought the Italian’s complicity in a joyful, cathartic celebration.

As for the race itself, her trademark clarity was on full display. “I tried to make sure the break was clean, and then the race is up to him—he always helps you, carries you along. I had to correct him a little at one point because I wanted a clean run and Villagra was close with El Epecuén (Il Campione), but everything unfolded just as we hoped. We understand each other very well, and the horse has matured enormously with me.”

The Alzaga Unzué will enter the record books as El Fortín’s first Grade 1, but above all it will be remembered as the day Lucrecia Carabajal returned to the summit, hand in hand with her daughter—proof that time may pass, but true passion never retires.