‘When You Compete Against The Best It Makes You Better’: Uruguayan Star Aero Trem Targets Saudi Cup

South American superstar Aero Trem is on course to fly the flag for Uruguay in The Saudi Cup next year.

The winner of the Group 1 Gran Premio Latinoamericano, South America's most prestigious prize, has been shipped to Dubai to continue his preparation for the world's most valuable race.

It will be a remarkable achievement just to line up in the $20 million showpiece, set to be run as a Group 1 for the first time, at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh on Saturday, Feb. 26.

The 6-year-old nearly died when struck down by a serious bout of colic after winning the first two legs of Uruguay's Triple Crown three years ago.

He has since developed into South America's best horse and his ambitious trainer Antonio Cintra is keen to test his stable star against some of the world's top performers.

Assistant trainer Julio Olascoaga is overseeing Aero Trem's preparation in Dubai and said: “Aero Trem arrived on Monday. He travelled for two days to get to Dubai. He went from Uruguay to Germany and from Germany to Dubai. Horses usually lose weight in transit but, for him, it was like nothing had happened.

“He's arrived in fantastic condition. I took some blood and that was amazing. He can take all these things very well. I'm very happy with him – he looks great. He will start training at the end of the week.

“We're just waiting for an invitation to The Saudi Cup and then we'll work towards that. He's very highly-rated so I don't think he will have a problem getting in.”

Aero Trem won Uruguay's most important race over 1600m (one mile), the Gran Premio Pedro Pineyrua at Maronas, for the second successive year in January before landing the Gran Premio Latinoamericano in October.

It was only the second time in 38 years that a horse trained in Uruguay had landed South America's greatest race, run this year at Maronas.

The field contained the best horses from across the continent and Aero Trem was successful in course-record time. He led home a one-two for Brazilian Cintra – four-times Champion Trainer in Uruguay – with Atletico El Culano finishing runner-up in the 2000m (1 1/4-mile) dirt-track contest.

The victory came less than three years after Aero Trem had come dangerously close to losing his life to colic.

Olascoaga explained: “He had huge surgery and it was amazing work from the vets. He lost 150kg and it took a lot of time for him to recover.

“He's a horse that impresses you – when you think he might get beaten he just appears. In the Group 1s he has the extra power, he's amazing.

“Antonio has a dream to get his horses into the biggest races so we're working towards The Saudi Cup. It's a dream, a dream that might come true. It's unbelievable where this horse can take us.

“It's not just important for us – it's important for Uruguay and South America. We are testing how far we can go and how good the horses are. It's about measuring our horses on the world stage to see where we are.

“When you compete against the best it makes you better. If you're always competing at the same level you will never improve. If you raise the bar you have to push yourself to be better.

“That's even more important than the prize money. Money is important but it's not everything.

“We've never been to Saudi but we've heard about the track from people we know. They say the track will suit the Uruguayan horses much better than Dubai as it has a longer straight. The Uruguayan tracks generally have long straights so it's pretty similar.

“A fast pace will suit him, the distance will suit him, the track will suit him.”

Big-race jockey Vagner Leal, a Brazilian based in Uruguay, is expected to arrive in Dubai later this week. He will help with the preparation of Cintra's team and will take the ride on Aero Trem, who races in the colors of Brazilian owners Haras Old Friends, if he makes it in to The Saudi Cup field.

The trainer's horses based in Dubai include last year's Uruguay Derby hero El Patriota, a winner in Dubai in February, and talented 3-year-old Perfect Love. They will both be entered in the Saudi International Handicap run on the opening day of The Saudi Cup meeting on Friday, Feb. 25.

The Uruguayan runners at the glittering Saudi Cup meeting will have at least one famous supporter. Manchester United footballer Edison Cavani owns horses trained by Cintra and he has been keeping a close eye on the progress of the potential Saudi raiders.

Olascoaga added: “He's a very nice guy. He came to play for Uruguay in a World Cup qualifier and he came straight from the airport to the races. Everyone was going crazy.

“He loves horses and he's supportive of racing. It's very good for the industry, he brings the fans in.”

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Algorithms, Sire Of Math Wizard, Sold To Stand In Uruguay

Algorithms, a Grade 3 winner and veteran sire, has been sold to a partnership of Uruguay breeders, the South American publication Turf Diario reports.

The 12-year-old son of Bernardini had previously resided at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky., where he entered stud in 2013.

He was purchased by a syndicate that includes Haras Los Mendez, Haras Estrella del Sur, and Haras Rapetti. When the Southern Hemisphere breeding seasons begins, he will stand at Haras Phillipson.

From six crops of racing age, Algorithms has sired 183 winners, and his runners have earned a combined $14.5 million.

The star of his stallion resume is Math Wizard, who upset the 2019 running of the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby. He is also the sire of Grade 3 winners Recruiting Ready and Rich Mommy, as well as consistent stakes winners He Hate Me and South Bend.

Algorithms won all three of his career starts, highlighted by the G3 Holy Bull Stakes, for earnings of $301,500.

Bred in Kentucky by Oakbrook Farm, Algorithms is out of the Grade 3-placed Cryptoclearance mare Ava Knowsthecode; a blue hen mare whose 10 winners from 12 runners also includes Grade 1 winners Justin Phillip and Greenpointcrusader, Grade 2 winner Keyed Entry, and Grade 3 winner Successful Mission.

Algorithms is the second Claiborne sire to join the stallion ranks in Uruguay this season, after Kentucky Derby winner Orb's sale was announced earlier this year.

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Ioya Bigtime Dies Of Colic In Uruguay At Age 14

Multiple Grade 3 winner Ioya Bigtime died Tuesday of colic at Haras La Concordia in Uruguay, the South American publication Turf Diario reports.

The 14-year-old son of Dynaformer's death comes just before the start of the Southern Hemisphere breeding season. He has resided in Uruguay for his entire stud career, after being exported to the country following the 2013 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, where he sold privately to South American connections after finishing under his reserve in the ring.

The Illinois-born homebred for Team Block won six of 25 starts during his racing career and earnings of $540,149, highlighted by a win in the Grade 3 Stars and Stripes Stakes in his home state, as well as the G3 Kentucky Cup Turf Stakes at Kentucky Downs. Though his specialty was on the turf, he also showed ability over the former all-weather main track at Keeneland, finishing second in the G2 Fayette Stakes at Keeneland.

Ioya Bigtime has quickly developed a strong resume at stud in Uruguay, with just four crops to race. He was the country's leading freshman sire in 2018, but his second crop paid even greater dividends.

His showcase runner is Ajuste Fiscal, who was named Uruguay's Horse of the Year in both 2019 and 2020, racking up a trio of Group 1 victories in the process. He won two out of three legs of Uruguay's Triple Crown, the G1 Gran Premio Jockey Club and Grand Premio Polla de Potrillos, and he finished third in the G1 Gran Premio Nacional.

Earlier this year, Ajuste Fiscal ventured outside of South America for the first time to compete in the U.A.E., where his efforts included a third-place finish in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2.

Other runners of note sired by Ioya Bigtime include Uruguayan classic-placed Group 3 winner Negrone, and group stakes-placed runners El Curato and Russian Time.

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Will Take Charge, Midshipman Shuttling To Uruguay For Southern Hemisphere Season

A pair of Eclipse Award-winning sons of Unbridled's Song will shuttle to Haras Phillipson in Uruguay for the upcoming Southern Hemisphere breeding season, in Will Take Charge and Midshipman, the South American publication Turf Diario reports.

Will Take Charge, an 11-year-old son of Unbridled's Song, will ship to Haras Phillipson for the second consecutive year. He is wrapping up his seventh Northern Hemisphere season at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Ky., where he stood for an advertised fee of $5,000.

From four crops of racing age, Will Take Charge has sired 132 winners and he's compiled progeny earnings of more than $10.4 million. His runners are led by Grade 3 winner Will's Secret and Grade 1-placed Manny Wah. In South America, his offspring include Peruvian Group 2 winner Esidio.

Will Take Charge earned the Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old male in 2013 on the strength of a campaign that included wins in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes and Clark Handicap, the G2 Rebel Stakes and Pennsylvania Derby, and the G3 Smarty Jones Stakes, along with a runner-up effort in the Breeders' Cup Classic. At four, he won the G2 Razorback Handicap and ran second in the G1 Santa Anita Handicap, Donn Handicap, and Stephen Foster Handicap.

Midshipman is a veteran of the South American breeding ranks, having previously shuttled to farms in Brazil and Chile. The 15-year-old stands at Darley America in Lexington, Ky., where he was advertised in 2021 for $7,500.

With eight crops of racing age, Midshipman has sired 310 winners with combined progeny earnings of more than $28.4 million. Domestically, his highlights at stud include Grade 2 winner Princess Warrior, and Grade 3 winners including Lady Shipman and Sassy Sienna.

Midshipman has seen his greatest success in the Southern Hemisphere, including Brazilian 2,000 Guineas winner Royal Ship, who later shipped to the U.S. and became a Grade 2 winner. Other Southern Hemisphere runners of note include Brazilian Group 1 winners Tanganyka and Tweet, as well as Chilean Group 1 winner Succeso.

Midshipman was named champion 2-year-old male of 2008, after winning that year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile and the G1 Del Mar Futurity.

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