On Valle’s Day, Pecadora Joy Provided the Final Flourish

The Fortify Filly Capped Palermo’s Festival in Style with Estrellas Dirt Triumph

Martín Valle Celebrates Sensational Four-Win Haul with a Smile for the Camera / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

For jockey Martín Valle, Saturday at Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo was nothing short of sensational, and what better way to close out his day than by securing a remarkable four-timer during the Estrellas Festival. He guided Pecadora Joy with confidence to victory in the Estrellas Dirt (1300m, dirt), the race that brought the fantastic event to a fitting conclusion.

Just as he had done earlier with Charm (Strategos) in the Juvenile Fillies (G1), Drive Joy (Fortify) in the Juvenile (G1), and El Exito (Il Campione) in the Mile, Valle executed a tactically perfect ride. He kept the Fortify filly comfortable behind a strong pace set by Estrella del Día (Il Campione) before asking her to quicken in the clear.

When Pecadora Joy launched her run wide, the Firmamento homebred swept past effortlessly, drawing away to win by two lengths over Look Happy (Hi Happy), with Joy Melódica (Fortify) closing well to finish third by another half head. Final time was 1:17.44.

The victory also gave trainer Carlos D. Etchechoury a double on the day. Pecadora Joy was rebounding from a subpar effort over a mile in the G3 Círculo de Propietarios de Caballerizas SPC, reaffirming that distances around 1400 meters remain her strongest suit. This marked her fifth win from 17 starts, with four of those victories coming at or near this trip.