Opinium got her revenge and handed King Guillermo his first stakes winner
The colt racing for Stud Vintage defeated Negro de Pergamino by 221 lengths in the Clásico Candy Ride, over a heavy turf track at San Isidro; Rodrigo Bascuñán guided the pupil trained by Elvio Bortulé
Negro de Pergamino (Hi Happy) saw his hopes of repeating short-lived. He had barely broken the resistance of Cautivador (Pneumatic) when Opinium emerged with a sweeping stretch run that instantly altered the outcome of the Clásico Candy Ride (L-1400m). What had been a three-quarter-length defeat in the Clásico Vilmar Sanguinettitransformed here into a decisive revenge, winning by 221 lengths in a performance that invites a look toward bigger objectives.
The favorite justified the public's confidence on the heavy turf diagonal, finding the ideal going to impose his late surge and capture the first stakes victory of his career. He also delivered significant news for breeders: he becomes the first son of King Guillermo (Uncle Mo) to win a stakes race in Argentina, adding another name to this season's intriguing class of freshman sires.
With effective jockey Rodrigo Bascuñán in the irons, the representative of Stud Vintage built his victory from off the pace. Up front, Cautivador set the fractions, closely stalked by Negro de Pergamino, who was eager to capitalize on his positioning to make his bid when the real running began.
Opinium steadily improved his position without letting the leaders get away from him. His forward movement began taking shape long before the crucial stretch, while attention was still focused on the battle between the pacesetter and his immediate pursuer.
Once in the homestretch, around 300 meters from the wire, Negro de Pergamino began to forge ahead of Cautivador. It was his moment, but he barely had time to savor it. Opinium charged onto the scene, swept past with authority, and turned what threatened to be a tight finish into a commanding victory.
The difference lay in that lethal turn of foot. The pupil trained by Elvio Bortulé dominated with poise and drew off clearly, giving his familiar rival no chance to fight back. This time, the gap between them was far wider than the narrow three-quarter lengths that separated them in their previous clash, with the order now reversed.
The teletimer stopped at 1m25s19/100, an acceptable time given the heavy turf conditions. Far more eloquent than the clock was the manner in which the winner put the race to rest, sustaining his momentum to establish undisputed superiority over his main rival.
Bred by Haras La Providencia, Opinium provided the first local stakes success for King Guillermo, who joins Made You Look (More Than Ready), Pneumatic (Uncle Mo), Uncle Chuck (Uncle Mo), Gershwin (Distorted Humor), Emotion Orpen (Orpen), and Have At It (Kitten's Joy) among the freshman sires with stakes-winning offspring this season.
The Candy Ride often serves as a springboard toward the Gran Premio Joaquín S. de Anchorena (G1), although that mile test brings a much higher level of competition. It remains to be seen which path his connections will choose, but Opinium offered plenty of reason for optimism: he settled the score with Negro de Pergamino and did so with a decisive punch that warrants looking far beyond mere revenge.
