The divisions of the Zubiaurre produced solid winners in Don Pacto and Stay Tune
- Turf Diario
- Apr 25
- 2 min read
The former gave Manuela Basombrío her first win as a trainer; the latter clocked a time 1.12 seconds faster
The two divisions of the 2026 Clásico José Benito Zubiaurre (1500m, turf) produced solid winners. In the first, Don Pacto delivered the first victory for stallion Pneumatic (Uncle Mo) with a comfortable 6-length score; in the second, Stay Tune (Fortify) lived up to favoritism with a 3 1/2-length win.
Building momentum and showing grit along the inside entering the stretch, Don Pacto’s success carried special significance for Stud-Haras San Benito, as it marked the first training victory for Manuela Basombrío, daughter of Andrés, the farm’s founder.
It was no surprise, then, that the family gathered to celebrate, with embraces and visible emotion all around.
The first foal out of Doña Lamparita (Cityscape), Don Pacto traces back to one of the farm’s foundation lines, with Handle With Care (Woodman) as his third dam, one of the key imports that helped build its legacy.
Don Pacto stopped the clock in 1:32.32 for his debut win, noticeably slower than what followed, as Stay Tune captured his division in 1:31.20, over a surface that was not particularly firm and played somewhat holding.
Racing for Stud Las Monjitas, trained by Carlos D. Etchechoury, and perfectly ridden by Brian Enrique, the colt bred at Haras Vacación quickened strongly in the stretch to defeat Excitement (Il Campione) with authority in a highly strung-out race, where 44 1/4 lengths separated first from last.
Out of the speedy Stay In the Glory (Honour and Glory)—a half-sister to G2 winner Stay Calm (Dynamix)—Stay Tune could meet Don Pacto again in exactly a month’s time in the Gran Premio Gran Criterium (G1), the first G1 of the season for 2-year-olds at San Isidro, contested over a mile.
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