Through Mud and Applause, Vundu Reclaims His Place Among the Best

The bay showed grit and class to capture the Clásico Potrillón, rekindling dreams of bigger targets ahead; with soundness comes promise

Vundu (right) held off the late charge of Capitán Kid in the final strides / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

He may not yet have recaptured the brilliance that defined his outstanding 2024 campaign, but Vundu is steadily logging flight time again, overcoming hurdles and reaffirming his place among the top turf routers at San Isidro.

The son of Suggestive Boy delivered another thrilling win for the team of Stud Gran Ascochinga on Friday, taking the Clásico Potrillón (2000 meters, heavy turf), one of two races above the regular level on the card and one that could serve as a key reference for Jockey Club officials looking ahead to the Gran Premio Latinoamericano (G1) in October at Gávea, Brazil.

The official margin of a head over Capitán Kid (Daniel Boone) might suggest a tighter finish than it was. Though clearly narrow, Martín Valle only resorted to the whip once, and that was just before the wire, seemingly just to ensure the victory.

Sent off as the heavy favorite at 1.75, Vundu never raced far off early leader Cornwall (Remote), whom he began to press heading into the far turn. The front-runner fought back gamely, but Vundu wore him down in upper stretch to open a lead that the fast-closing Capitán Kid couldn't quite erase, despite a strong final effort.

Two lengths behind, Cornwall held on gamely to complete the trifecta, nine clear of Don Taimado (Il Campione), who rounded out the superfecta in a separate race of his own. The final time of 2:06.53 tells the story of the challenging conditions underfoot, after splits of 24.81, 49.64, 1:14.69, and 1:40.16.

Trainer Nicolás Martín Ferro continues to piece together the big-race dreams surrounding Vundu, a horse whose physical issues have been a constant obstacle, but who continues to rise to the occasion on the strength of his natural talent.

With the Clásico Engrillado just a few weeks away, connections may look to that race as the next stepping stone—and possibly a springboard into the Latino, a spot that’s expected to be hotly contested. Among others aiming for that berth is Honest Boy (Heliostatic), another name to watch.

With Vundu, when health is on his side, big plans are never out of reach.