Trainer Patricio Baeza will saddle five starters, including Stud Dona Eliana Spa’s hard-charging filly Mama Lili and Herane Escaff’s Mi Elegido, in the 1 1/4-mile Gran Premio Club Hipico Falabella (G1T) May 29 at Club Hipico de Santiago in Chile. The winner of the Gran Premio Club Hipico Falabella, which drew 12 starters, will earn an automatic starting position, and fees paid, into this fall’s Breeders Cup Mile (G1T) at Santa Anita Park through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.
Mama Lili has won seven of nine starts for Baeza. After taking the 1 1/4-mile Las Oaks (G1) at Club Hipico in December, the 3-year-old daughter of Ivan Denisovich has won two of three starts this year. Following a third-place finish in the 1 1/2-mile El Derby (G1) at Valparaiso Sporting Club in Santiago Feb. 5, she captured the March 19 Gran Clasico Coronacion Pablo Baraona (G2) by a neck over Netinna. In her most recent start, the 1 1/4-mile Otono Pedro Garcia de la Huerta (G2) April 30, she closed furiously along the rail inside the final furlong to finish second. However, she was elevated to first place after it was ruled that she was interfered with by Aucar in deep stretch.
Mi Elegido has come back into form after 10th- and fourth-place finishes, respectively, in the El Derby and the Coronacion Pablo Baraona. Following a second to Costa Del Norte in an allowance race going 1 1/4 miles April 14 at Club Hipico, Mi Elegido returned May 5 at the same track to win a 1 1/4-mile allowance by a neck over Muy Donoso as the 7-5 favorite. A 3-year-old son of Seeking the Dia, Mi Elegido earned his first group 1 triumph when he won the one-mile Polla de Potrillos (G1) last August at Club Hipico.
Baeza also has entered two more fillies by Ivan Denisovich in the 3-year-olds Costa Del Norte, and Agricola Stud La Nonna’s Netinna.
A main threat comes from Agricola Haras Jockey’s 3-year-old Lukka, who made his biggest career triumph in his last race April 29 when he captured the 1 3/8-mile Gran Premio Hipodromo Chile (G1) on dirt by three-quarters of a length. In his prior race, Lukka, who is trained by Juan Baeza, finished second to Fortino in the El Derby. A chestnut son of two-time North American Eclipse Award winner Lookin at Lucky , Lukka has finished in the money in all eight of his starts.
Despite his disqualification in the Huerta, Sergio Larrain’s ever-consistent 6-year-old Aucar has finished in the top three in an incredible 18 of his last 19 starts, dating back to March 2021, for trainer Jose Fernandez. A winner nine times in 33 starts, the son of Mastercraftsman finished second to Succeso in the 2021 Grand Premio Club Hipico Falabella. He won six consecutive races after that, including the Copa de Oro Maria Luisa Solari (G2) in November 2021, but has been victorious only once in his last nine starts.
Also of interest is Stud Carvatero’s Muy Donoso, a son of Lookin at Lucky trained by Guillermo Aguirre.
As a part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders’ Cup will pay the entry fees and a travel allowance for the winner of the Gran Premio Club Hipico Falabella to start in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. The winner must be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 23 to receive the rewards.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
