Miss Talento and the Saying: “He Who Laughs Last, Laughs Best”...
- Turf Diario
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
With a sweeping late run, the Stud Don Yayo filly surged past Emma Novela and Poker Mommy, who battled fiercely through much of the stretch
The saying came to life in the Handicap Mouchette (1800m, heavy dirt), the first of two feature races on Monday at Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo.
Coming from the back, Miss Talento (57 kg) capitalized on her current form and the battles ahead to claim the top prize, leaving Emma Novela (Emmanuel, 55 kg) and topweight and favorite Poker Mommy (Daddy Long Legs, 60 kg)empty-handed after they had dueled head-to-head for much of the stretch.
In a race that offered twists and turns from start to finish, the patience of jockey Kevin Banegas paid off handsomely. Fortune also played a part: Eduardo Ortega Pavón, aboard Poker Mommy, lost his whip at the start—an almost fatal setback for a large, heavy-moving filly. This forced the Paraguayan to make unusual maneuvers with the reins to urge her along.
At the wire, Miss Talento prevailed by ¾ of a length over Emma Novela, with the gray filly in third, just a neck back. All this came on a very slippery track, where Costa Dark (In the Dark, 59 kg), returning from a break, failed to respond and could manage only sixth, 6¼ lengths behind.
The pace was set by Costa Dark, closely tracked by Poker Mommy, with Emma Novela patiently positioned and Miss Talento well off the pace. In the stretch, the leader quickly gave way, and it seemed the two closers would decide the outcome.
But from the back, Banegas launched the Stud Don Yayo filly with a perfectly timed rally, taking control 20 meters from the wire in 1:53.47, reflecting the challenging state of the track.
Bred by María I. Solveyra and Cornelio Donovan, and trained by Walter Suárez and María F. Álvarez, the daughter of Equal Talent out of Pura Verdade (Pure Prize) secured the fourth and most significant victory of her career from 18 starts.
