Jet Set Racing Stable's Super Corinto, a Group 1 winner in Chile, came with a steady run through the stretch to catch pacesetter Mish and hold off late-running Clapton and earn his first North American victory Thursday at Gulfstream Park.
Ridden by Hector Berrios for trainer Amador Sanchez, Super Corinto ($3.60) covered 1 1/16 miles over a fast main track in 1:43.25 in his second starts since coming to the U.S. He was caught late in running second behind Noble Drama in a similar optional claiming allowance going one mile Nov. 12 at Gulfstream.
“He needed more distance,” said Berrios, aboard for his prior start as well as his victory over well-regarded O'Connor in the 1 3/8-mile Gran Premio Hipodromo Chile (G1) April 30. “I tried to go to the lad but [Mish] he got there first.
“To me he needs more distance because he's one-paced. Maybe in the Pegasus World Cup it will be different,” he added. “He needed more speed in the race. At the half-mile [pole] I was asking for more and I thought maybe I'd finish second, but he kept coming and ran like a good horse.”
Mish showed speed from the rail and led through a quarter-mile in 23.78 seconds and a half in 47.73, while Berrios settled Super Corinto in second while in the clear three wide. Super Corinto closed the gap after Mish went six furlongs in 1:11.50 and straightened for home with sights set on the leader, forging a short lead inside the sixteenth pole.
“I was not expecting to run so close to the lead, but as the horse broke very well [Berrios] decided to chase the leader more closely,” Sanchez said. “I think the horse runs better when he rallies from the middle to the back of the field, but I am very pleased with the way the horse responded today.”
Clapton stayed up for second, followed by Mish, Klugman, Laughing Boy and Jesus' Team, who grabbed a quarter coming out of the starting gate and was never a factor.
Sanchez said he will point Super Corinto to the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles Jan. 28 at Gulfstream. O'Connor, an impressive winner Oct. 16 at Gulfstream in his U.S. debut, is also headed that way.
“If the horse gets the invitation, he will run,” Sanchez said.
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