Ruler Man Split the Field to Claim the Hunter’s Moon Handicap

The Lenovo gelding fully justified his favoritism, drawing off by five lengths over Galán de Moda

Ruler Man Went Straight to the Front from the Break / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

A seasoned campaigner from Argentina’s interior and the kind of horse who commands respect whenever he appears on an entry sheet, Ruler Man (54kg) made his presence felt in emphatic fashion Monday at the Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo, rolling to an authoritative victory in the Handicap Hunter’s Moon, the feature of an otherwise modest technical card. The 1,000-meter dirt dash was open to horses aged five and up.

Coming off a disappointing 10th-place finish in the Gran Premio Maipú (G1), the son of champion Lenovo found a far more suitable spot and fully justified public support (sent off at ARS 2.60), taking advantage of a below-par showing from his principal paper rivals.

In truth, the race proved a one-horse show. Carrying the colors of Stud Pilufa, Ruler Man broke sharply to seize the lead, carved out an honest cruising speed through the opening half, and began to assert from the 500-meter mark onward, steadily widening his margin to hit the wire five lengths clear of Córdoba-based Galán de Moda (Qué Vida Buena, 56), who chased in vain throughout.

Another 1 1/2 lengths back, the durable nine-year-old Paris Tech (Luhuk, 55 1/2) completed the trifecta. He finished narrowly in front of Aires de Gloria (Angiolo, 60), El Fruto (Il Campione, 60), Funny Kid (Forestry, 54) and Bank One(Lenovo, 57), in a tight cluster. The final time was a sharp :56.68, with splits of :22.85 and :44.62.

Bred by Haras Don Yayo, ridden by Brian Enrique and trained by Juan José Egüen, Ruler Man registered the fifth win of his career and his second success above the allowance level, having previously captured a division of the Especial Encuentro Provincial Invierno for juveniles in mid-2023.

Ruler Man is a half-brother to four other winners. His dam, Miss Rosa Sur (Numerous), is a half-sister to dual G3 winner Presuroso Nov (Romanov) and hails from a productive sprinting family that also includes Nice Fitz and Presuroso Fitz(both by Fitzcarraldo), as well as the memorable Kalidoscópico (Kaljerry), winner of the Clásico Santiago Luro in 1982.