El Encinal wins Carlos Pellegrini, South America’s biggest race

El Encinal pulled a 14-1upset and earned a Breeders’ Cup berth Saturday evening when he captured the Group1, US$99,865 Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini Internacional at San Isidro near Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Craftily ridden by EduardoOrtega Pavón, El Encinal split rivals in mid-stretch of the nearly 1 1/2-mile turfrace before getting up in the final jumps to nail No Fear by a head in athrilling finish.

EL ENCINAL ???? sorprende en propia sentencia a No Fear ???? y se anexa la victoria en los 2400mts del Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini, con gran monta de Eduardo Ortega Pavón para el trainer Alberto Gómez en el @HipodromoSI

EL ENCINAL ???? se anota como el primer ganador del Win and… pic.twitter.com/qhtGRjKZeF

— Agentes305 (@agentes305) December 16, 2023

The Pellegrini, the mostprestigious race in South America, is the first Breeders’ Cup win-and-you’re-inrace of the 2023-24. With his narrow victory in a field of 14 3-year-olds andupward, El Encinal earned an invitation to the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turfnext November at Del Mar.

After the top twofinishers, it was two lengths back to Treasure Island in third. JazzSeiver, part of a favored entry, was another head back in fourth.

The triumph was by far themost noteworthy in the nascent racing career of El Encinal. After beingdefeated in his first five starts, he has won three of his last four. He was anose winner of an August maiden race in his sixth start, then he wheeled backto win the Ensayo (G3) in September, both at San Isidro. His lone interimattempt resulted in a sixth-place finish behind Happy Happy Day in theage-restricted Jockey Club (G1) on Oct. 7, also at San Isidro.

El Encinal is a chestnut3-year-old colt by the Chile sire Il Campione, a son of the late, noted sireScat Daddy and was produced by the Argentina mare Asediada Emper by EmperorJones. Miguel Alberto Gómez trains the colt for the Stud Doña Pancha, perhapsbest known to U.S. racing fans as the owner of Calidoscopio, winner of the 2012Breeders’ Cup Marathon (G2).

Ortega Pavón had El Encinalnicely settled while saving ground in mid-pack for much of the Pellegrini. HappyHappy Day sped off to an open lead up the backstretch and into the turn.

Down the 680-yard homestretch,Treasure Island first took over for Happy Happy Day after which the filly NoFear made a sustained run to take full command with a little more than 100 yards to go. Itwas only a determined late run by El Encinal that snatched the win from No Fearin the shadow of the wire with the winning time of 2:25.46 without a run-up forthe 2,400 meters, 15 yards short of 1 1/2 miles.

The three-way Group1-winning entry of Natan, Happy Happy Day and Jazz Seiver, all owned byStud Las Monjitas, a powerhouse stable in Argentina, was the 9-5 favorite among12 betting interests. No Fear and Treasure Island were next at 7-2 with ElEncinal among the middling choices at 14-1.

Natan, a 25-length winnerof the 2022 Jockey Club as a 3-year-old, was the major disappointment Saturdaywhen failing to be a serious factor in finishing sixth.