The Ocean Scores Seventh Career Win Against Soft Conditional Company

Endorsement Colt Lands Premio Agiosto; No Me Acuerdo, Lobster and Guanda Lara Shine Among 3-Year-Olds

The Ocean Provides the Day’s Best Win at San Isidro / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

There was a time when Argentine racing could thrive without the need to stage a flood of weak races—and those days are fondly remembered. Times have changed, of course, but it’s hard to justify a program as thin as the one San Isidro puts on most Wednesdays.

The argument that “there has to be room for everyone” doesn’t hold much water either, as even in the claiming-level races, the silks up front often belong to the most prominent owners, simply because quantity and quality inevitably overlap when measured against the ambitions of smaller operations.

Management insists it’s not a matter of cost—the purse money saved on low-level races, they say, is simply used elsewhere on the card. Still, the distribution could arguably be handled with a more global view, one that bolsters quality in line with the track’s status as a selective venue.

This Wednesday was another of those lifeless days at the northern colossus, with only a smattering of spectators in the stands—a reflection of a global trend, with a few exceptions.

Beyond Hiran (Santillano)’s gritty win in the Listed Clásico Lamadrid, the conditions side of the program offered precious little to note. The most interesting came in the Premio Agiosto (1400 meters, dirt), a 4,350,000-peso contest for 6-year-olds with three or more wins.

Carrying top weight of 58 kilos—two extra for each subsequent win—favorite The Ocean (Endorsement–Gran Oceánica, by Grand Reward, Haras La Quebrada) delivered in style.

Under the steady hands of Francisco Leandro, the 7-year-old chestnut defeated Tisiano (Hurricane Cat) by 1 1/2 lengths in a sharp 1:22.89. It was his seventh victory in 24 starts for trainer Gustavo Romero and owner Stud Pilo.

Among the claimers, three 3-year-olds broke their maidens: No Me Acuerdo (Puerto Escondido–Truly Amanda, by Il Campione), Lobster (Hit It a Bomb–Locasa Nistel, by Van Nistelrooy), and Guanda Lara (Il Mercato–Grecia Clásica, by Zensational)—the first two doing so on debut. Time will tell what the future holds for them.