The Clásico Epecuén, or When Class Is Simply Too Much for the Opposition...
- Turf Diario
- Jul 11
- 2 min read
In a clear demonstration of absolute superiority, the talented son of Il Campione dominated his rivals to capture the Clásico Diamond Jubilee (L)
The pre-race analysis for Friday's Clásico Diamond Jubilee (L-1,000m, dirt) suggested that it would take something truly extraordinary to deny El Epecuén the victory. Either one of his rivals would have to deliver a completely unforeseen, superlative performance, or the dark bay himself would have to run well below his established level; there simply were not many alternative scenarios on the card at Hipódromo de Palermo.
When the gates opened, the script went exactly as written. The brilliant son of Il Campione dispatched his assignment to perfection, further solidifying his position alongside Le Cornette (Emmanuel) as one of the two absolute benchmarks of the contemporary sprinting division.
Sidelined since his spectacular triumph on May 1 in the prestigious Gran Premio Ciudad de Buenos Aires (G1), El Epecuén picked up right where he left off, showcasing his immense class and exceptional ability to win without ever being fully extended. Such was his superiority that he effortlessly tracked the early pace set by En Un Rincón (Manipulator), assumed command at the midway point, and finished with absolute authority without needing a demanding drive.
At the wire, he held a comfortable one-length advantage over Lyon (Lenovo), who closed well to secure the runner-up spot, while Claro Bombón (Claro Oscuro) turned in an encouraging stakes debut to complete the trifecta another 1 1/2 lengths back. The final time for the kilometer was a very sharp 56.69 seconds, following blazing early fractions of 22.84 and 44.48.
Trained by Miguel Cafere—and saddled on the afternoon by Miguel Gómez—the Haras El Paraíso-bred runner registered the tenth victory of his career from just 17 lifetime appearances, pushing his career bankroll to nearly 120,000,000 pesos.
Four of those triumphs have come at the stakes level, adding this listed success to previous victories in the Gran Premio Maipú (G1), the aforementioned Ciudad de Buenos Aires, and the Clásico Pablo Gustavo Falero, alongside a handful of high-weight handicap scores.
With this performance, El Epecuén proved he is in peak form to battle for divisional championship honors, setting up highly anticipated showdowns against Le Cornette and Naranccello (Le Blues) in the upcoming premier marathon sprints on the straightaway.
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