Mallow Provides the Day’s Highlight on an Otherwise Modest Card

Returning from Nearly Six Months Away, Mallow Impresses Over 1800 Meters

Mallow Wires the Field With Authority in Comeback Win / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

Wednesdays at San Isidro rarely feature high-profile racing, and this week’s program didn’t even offer a handicap to raise the stakes. Still, with 13 races on tap and a total handle of $365,706,763 (averaging $28,131,289 per race), the afternoon proved economically positive despite its modest sporting appeal.

On the track, the clear standout came in the Premio Regalo del Cielo, a 1800-meter dirt contest for 5-year-olds and up with two or three career wins, where Mallow (Suggestive Boy–Daylights, by Harlan’s Holiday) returned from a near six-month layoff in emphatic fashion.

The Stud Tramo 20 runner now boasts four victories from his last six starts and looked better than ever on Wednesday. Guided by Rodrigo Bascuñán, the chestnut wasted no time seizing control, setting the pace early before kicking clear in the stretch to score by six lengths over Stuven (Portal del Alto) in a sharp 1:48.28. He was saddled by Mariano Romerofor trainer Gustavo Romero, and a move into higher company now seems well within reach.

The Premio Defuniak, for fillies and mares under the same conditions, saw Delaunay (Suggestive Boy–Dando Amor, by Thunder Gulch) spring a mild upset with a front-running score over Doble Amarilla (Suggestive Boy) by one length. Owned by Stud Si Nos Toca and bred by Haras Pozo de Luna, Delaunay is trained by Tomás Daniel Carró and was ridden to victory by apprentice Rodrigo Ortíz. Her time of 1:49.92 was noticeably slower than that recorded by Mallow.

Among 3-year-olds, the highlights came at 1100 meters in the optional claiming ranks, with El Determinado (Il Campione–Smarticka, by Sebi Halo, bred by Haras El Paraíso) and Dona Rosa (Storm Embrujado–Western Indy, by Gone West, bred by Cuestión de Fe SA.) both securing their second career wins in good style.

As has long been the case, higher-quality racing at San Isidro will have to wait for the weekend.