Viejo Varieté Finished Strong to Capture the Clásico Embrujo

The Stud Haras El Ángel de Venecia runner produced a long, sustained rally from the back in the stretch to defeat Bay Max by half a head

Viejo Varieté Returns for His Biggest Photo Yet / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

With a sweeping late surge, Viejo Varieté (56kg) secured the first stakes victory of his career, capturing Sunday’s Clásico Embrujo (Listed, 1600m) over a rain-softened turf at San Isidro.

After back-to-back wins in the allowance ranks, the son of Qué Vida Buena confirmed his sharp progress with a determined rally in a blanket finish where four of the five runners were separated by just two lengths. His effort may have earned him a ticket toward the G1 Joaquín S. de Anchorena, the division’s marquee mile event set for mid-December.

Eduardo Ortega Pavón timed his move to perfection aboard the Stud Haras El Ángel de Venecia runner, allowing the chestnut to relax near the rear while Bluclette Rim (Remote, 57kg) wrested the lead from favorite Forgging (Forge, 54.5kg), who fought jockey Pablo Carrizo early as he tried to stride forward.

Once in the stretch, the leader tried to dig in, but Viejo Varieté began to loom on the outside, with the grey Bay Max(Gouverneur Morris, 53kg) also launching a strong bid. The pair battled through the final strides, but Viejo Varieté prevailed by half a head at the wire.

Another 1 1/2 lengths back, Bluclette Rim delivered one of the best performances of her career in third, with Forgging another half length away in fourth. The final time was an excellent 1:36.35, following brisk fractions of :24.27, :46.16, and 1:10.54.

Bred by Haras Don Florentino, and a full brother to the talented Ni La Ven, a dual handicap winner, Viejo Varieté delivered the 47th stakes win for his connections (including 14 G1s) and now boasts 4 wins from just 8 starts, with earnings approaching ARS 30 million.

Trained by Carlos D. Etchechoury, the grandson of Exchange Rate continues to trend upward. On this evidence, Viejo Varieté has a bright future in the middle-distance ranks—and was clearly the star of Sunday’s card at San Isidro.