Mercato Sea capitalized on a fierce battle upfront to secure his strongest victory to date
The son of Il Mercato rallied from off the pace to edge Approval Cat by a neck in the Handicap Rubén Emilio Laitán.The scratch of El Mejor Recuerdo and the hot early pace set by the leaders proved decisive
The Handicap Rubén Emilio Laitán, Monday's feature contest at Hipódromo Palermo, shifted dramatically before the start and concluded in a nail-biting finish. Mercato Sea rallied from off the pace, capitalized on an intense early tempo, and caught Approval Cat virtually on the wire to score by a neck, capturing the most important victory of his racing career.
The initial plot twist arrived with the scratch of El Mejor Recuerdo. The son of Il Campione, boasting 19 wins and four consecutive victories, had been entered to pursue number 20 while conceding weight at 62 kilograms. He stood out as the class of the field, but his withdrawal blew the race wide open. Fantasy Rim (Remote) was also scratched.
Consequently, Concord (Remote, 58 1/2 kg) was left as the 1.80-to-1 favorite and stepped up to do what he does best:set the pace. However, he was not left unattended. Bluclette Rim (Remote, 56 1/2 kg) pushed him from the break,leaving neither runner able to conserve energy. The opening 400 meters went in 23.31, followed by a half-mile fraction of 46.32—fractions that ultimately exacted a steep toll on both.
Concord was the first to fold, offering a disappointing performance as he faded to finish last of the six runners, more than 21 lengths behind the winner. Bluclette Rim showed greater resolve, turning into the stretch still holding claims,though he ultimately lacked the stamina to hold off the late closers.
That is where Approval Cat and Mercato Sea made their moves. The former found running room first and struck the front around the 150-meter mark, briefly looking as though he had the race secured. However, further out on the track,Mercato Sea was building formidable momentum. Under a driving ride from Daniel Eduardo Arias, he ate up ground stride by stride and produced a last-gasp surge right on the line to snatch the win.
The clock stopped at 1:12.00 flat for the 1,200 meters over a sloppy track, with Approval Cat forced to settle for second by a neck and Bluclette Rim hanging on for a meritorious third, two lengths further back. The stark contrast between Mercato Sea's closing drive and the early leaders' exhaustion proved decisive.
For Mercato Sea, who races for the La Plata-based Stud Ir la Dulce and is trained by Jonatan Ramallo, the victory carried special significance. The son of Horse of the Year Il Mercato and Coquette Sea (Seattle Fitz), bred by Haras Firmamento, was coming off a condition victory at Palermo followed by a runner-up effort in his next outing—signals of a resurgence that received its ultimate validation here.
His career record also featured a single prior stakes appearance in the distant past. On August 15, 2024, he competed in the Polla de Potrillos (G3) at La Plata, where he finished eighth. He had not returned to stakes level since. Over two years later, now as a 5-year-old, he returned to prove he still had a major chapter left to write.
The race setup indisputably played into his hands, but he still had to deliver the performance required to capitalize.Mercato Sea did exactly that, finding the ideal trip and finishing with first-class acceleration to prevail by a neck.
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