Haras El Angel De Venecia’s homebred THE PUNISHER passed El Musical (ARG) in deep stretch to capture Saturday’s 1 ½-mile Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini-Internacional (G1) at Hipódromo de San Isidro in Buenos Aires. With this win, The Punisher earned an automatic berth into the 2023 US$4 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the 2023 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held on Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.
The Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini-Internacional, South America’s most prestigious race, is the first Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series race of the 2023 season.
The Punisher (22.70), a 3-year-old son of Cityscape (GB) out of O.K. Angie (ARG) by Orpen, is trained by Carlos D. Etchechoury and was ridden by Martin Valle. The victory brought Etchechoury his fourth win in the Carlos Pellegrini.
Breaking alertly from post 6 in a 15-horse field, The Punisher was rated off the rail by Valle in sixth place through the first 800 meters as two-time Group 1 winner Irwin (ARG) set the pace along with Hacer Un Puente (ARG). El Musical (5-1) ranged up along the rail at the top of the stretch to engage the frontrunner as Irwin began to fade. The Punisher began a concerted drive outside of the leaders and engaged El Musical in a furious stretch battle, passing his rival in the final yards to prevail by three-quarters of a length. El Cid Campeador (ARG) finished third followed by Don Tigre (ARG) in fourth and Irwin in fifth.
The Punisher completed the 1 ½ miles in 2:24.47 over a course listed as normal. It was his third win in six starts and his first Group 1 triumph. The Punisher finished third in the Gran Premio Jockey Club (G1) at San Isidro in his previous start on Oct. 15.
You don’t have to go back far in The Punisher’s pedigree to find some notable Canadian breeding.
His dam O.K. Angie is a granddaughter of Bison City Stakes winner REGAL ANGELA (Regal Intention – Dancing Angela by Quadrangle) who raced for Hillsbrook Farm and trainer Roger Attfield in 1998. Bred by Windfields Farm, Regal Angela was a $34,000 (US) yearling purchase at the CTHS Ontario sale and then sold in 2000 by Hillsbrook for $575,000 in foal to Gone West and she went on to become a stakes producer.
Regal Angela’s dam DANCING ANGELA produced graded stakes winner BEJILLA and stakes winner LE DANSEUR.
As a part of the benefits of the Challenge series, the Breeders’ Cup will pay the entry fees for The Punisher to start in the 1 ½-mile Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf. Breeders’ Cup will also provide a $40,000 travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships.
-with files from J.M.
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