Through Ups and Downs, Bronx Continues to Make His Mark

In one of the country's most competitive divisions, Bronx, trained by Carlos D. Etchechoury, once again stood out on the turf with a sharp victory in the G2 Pippermint

Rodrigo Bacuñán celebrates Bronx’s big win at San Isidro / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

Consistency might not be Bronx’s strongest suit, but every time he gets things right, he proves he has class and talent to spare. Whether it was his dead-heat with Folie Ninja (Hat Ninja) in the G1 Gran Premio Estrellas Mile, or his victories in the G2 Clásico Ecuador and G2 Clásico Horacio Bustillo, the son of the outstanding Qué Vida Buena was back in the spotlight on the turf at San Isidro, bouncing back from a subpar performance last time out.

Despite the ups and downs, the Stud Tres P. homebred is building a noteworthy résumé, even while competing in one of the toughest divisions around—one filled with quality names, many of which faced off in the 1400-meter G2 Clásico Pippermint, run over the always challenging diagonal course at the Jockey Club Argentino.

It was a big ask—he hadn’t run under a mile in two years—and the opposition was fierce. But Bronx rose to the occasion with a powerful late run that played perfectly to his strengths.

Jockey Rodrigo Bascuñán—who unfortunately suffered an injury later in the day—clearly had the game plan figured out before the gates opened. With several front-runners in the field, the pace was expected to be sharp. Though not blazing, the fading Colifato Novo (Lenovo) ensured a steady tempo, running oddly wide throughout and losing valuable ground.

Down the lane, the 2024 Champion 2-Year-Old offered little resistance when challenged. Bronx came through along the rail and outkicked Mr. Versace (Fortify), who rallied wider. The final margin was one length, with What a Man(Mastercraftsman) finishing strongly for third, another length behind.

Colifato Novo faded to fourth, beaten four lengths, far from his best form. Heavy favorite Earth God (Cosmic Trigger) checked in sixth, and Don Latido (John F Kennedy) disappointed when trailing in seventh. The final time of 1:25.20 was significantly quicker than the 1:26.60 it took Legalized (Dabster) to win the Clásico Anasagasti (L) one race earlier.

Trainer Carlos D. Etchechoury oversees Bronx, a truly talented runner who, despite his inconsistencies, has won more turf mile stakes than any other in recent memory.