Sunny Thunder put a poor performance behind him and returned to form with a winning late rush
The son of Dubai Thunder scored in the Premio Warrior Gold upon returning from a suspension due to exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH); El Furtivo broke his maiden and Gonzalo Borda notched another double
LA PLATA.- A final furlong was all Sunny Thunder needed to transform his comeback into the most compelling performance among Tuesday’s condition races at El Bosque. Racing well back through much of the contest, the son of Dubai Thunder found daylight on the outside to run down El Pecadito (Cima de Triomphe) and score by a length in the Premio Warrior Gold, contested over 1200 meters for 3-year-old colts.
The fourth race on the card offered a redemption arc that extended beyond the scoreboard. In his previous outing, Sunny Thunder had suffered bilateral epistaxis (EIPH), an incident that resulted in a mandatory 30-day layoff. His return came with new connections as well: formerly racing for Stud Doña René under the care of Guillermo Santa Cruz Núñez, he sported the colors of Great Kings on this occasion under the training of Roberto Anglat.
With veteran jockey Walter Aguirre in the irons, the colt launched his winning bid from deep off the pace. As early skirmishes played out upfront, he bided his time near the rear, waiting for the stretch. Once in the straight, he uncorked a wide rally and began eating up ground, targeting El Pecadito with considerable distance still to make up.
The margin shrank rapidly as the wire approached. Sunny Thunder maintained his momentum, collared his rival in the final 100 meters, and surged clear with enough power to establish a one-length margin at the post. It was a convincing finish, both for the manner of execution and the troubled prelude preceding his return.
The winner's potential had flared even before breaking his maiden. During that early phase, he had finished second in the Especial Velocistas Potrillos and fourth in the Clásico Hípico de Tandil, performances that hinted at real promise. Tuesday's triumph delivered on those early signs, putting his previous setback firmly in the rearview mirror.
There was also cause for relief in the camp of El Furtivo (Lucullan), who secured his maiden victory at the eleventh time of asking. The 3-year-old captured the Premio Alphabeto over 1400 meters in a much tighter finish, prevailing by a head over Murmullo (Manipulator). Persistence finally paid dividends, though he had to dig deep until the final stride to earn it.
Among horsemen, jockey Gonzalo Borda made his presence felt once again by riding a double, extending his lead atop the jockeys' standings. He opened his account in the second race guiding Hoy Opero (Tantos Años), and capped off his day in the ninth contest aboard Hats with Tangerines (Hat Ninja) in the Premio Rosamarín. It was another pair of victories for a rider whose relentless consistency remains the cornerstone of his leadership.
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