Vota Bien Finds His Stride with Impressive Victory in Clásico Perú

The Stud Don Sinfo owned, who had recently broken his maiden, scored authoritatively at Palermo, lowered the track record, and is now projecting his name among the top-level horses

Vota Bien stayed comfortably in front through the stretch. / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

By Diego H. Mitagstein

It’s hard to grasp how a horse that took seven starts and nearly a year to break his maiden could come back in his very next outing and dominate a tough race like the G2 Clásico Perú (1800m, dirt) with such authority.

But that’s racing—and that’s Thoroughbreds. A world where possibilities open as soon as the gates do, and hope always has a place, whether you're getting 2-to-1 or 30-to-1.

Vota Bien was the star this Monday at Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo, delivering a statement victory in one of the most exciting races of the season. The late withdrawal of El Exito (Il Campione), who had suffered a mild colic episode late last week—now fully recovered—left the field wide open, and Vota Bien capitalized.

The chestnut, officially trained by Carlos Cardón and presented by Guillermo García, was piloted by an inspired Francisco Leandro, who picked up five wins on the card. He took control of the race early and never looked back, upsetting the expected pace scenario and making a massive leap in the older horse ranks.

Yes, he was coming off a 9-length maiden win in a sharp 1:46.53 (on the old timing system), but this was a different test entirely—facing a field that blended quality and experience, including G1 winners such as Acento Final (Treasure Beach).

Still, nothing could stop the son of Hi Happy. He briefly allowed his paternal sibling Storm Sound to show the way before taking over down the backstretch, opening up at the top of the lane and gliding home with ease.

The visual impression was confirmed on the track: Vota Bien pulled away to score by 4 lengths over Acento Final, who closed wide. Another 3 lengths back came Descamisado (Cosmic Trigger), with favorite Holy Holy Rim(Remote) one length behind in fourth. Storm Sound was next, followed by Jardín Secreto (Endorsement) and Tiznow Forever (Midshipman).

Owned by Stud Don Sinfo and bred by Nicolás and Agustín Reale at Haras El Arroyo in Córdoba, Vota Bien stopped the clock in 1:47.43, setting a new record under the updated timing system. He eclipsed the 1:49.14 mark set by Coni Fizz (Marconi) in the recent G1 Gran Premio Estrellas Distaff, and even bested Pulpinello’s (Sixties Icon) 1:44.78 under the previous system.

Out of the prolific Votsi (A.P. Indy), imported from the U.S. by Haras La Pasión, Vota Bien is a half-brother to multiple stakes-placed Votemos (Manipulator) and four other winners, including Fantastic Votsi (Cherokee Run), sire of Fanática (Saratoga Storm)—a G3 winner in Uruguay.

Proven on both turf and dirt—though his two wins have come over the latter—Vota Bien now seems poised for bigger things. Despite his modest form coming in, he returned a surprisingly short $5.10 on the tote.

Mature, settled, and seemingly having found his stride, he now looks ready to stretch out further in distance. A target like the G1 Gran Premio Dardo Rocha could make sense, especially with few remaining middle-distance dirt stakes at Palermo beyond the G3 Clásico Italia.

But that’s a story for another day. On this Thursday, Vota Bien looked like a different horse—improved, dominant, and capable of giving his team every reason to dream big.