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Village King Gets BC Turf Spot With Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini Internacional Victory

Haras El Angel De Venecia's 7-year-old Village King (ARG) took the lead with two furlongs remaining and cruised to a nine-length victory Saturday in the 1 ½-mile Group 1 Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini Internacional at Hipódromo de San Isidro in Buenos Aires, Argentina. With this victory, Village King, ridden by Martin Valle, earned an automatic starting position into the 2022 Grade 1 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

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 2022 Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held on Nov. 4-5 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini Internacional, South America's most prestigious race, was the first Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race of the 2022 season.

Village King (ARG), trained by Carlos Etchechoury, finished third in the 2017 and 2020 editions of the Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini. Today, the bay son of Campanologist out of the Pleasant Tap mare Villard, won his ninth race in 21 starts, and his fourth G1 triumph. He completed the 1½ miles in 2:23.42.

Sent off at the 9-1 third choice in the 19-horse field, Village King broke sharply and settled in behind the pace set by Sandino Ruler (ARG) and Encarrilado (ARG) through the first 1600 meters in 1:37.15. On the turn for home, Village King ranged up and easily passed a fading Encarrilado and set his sights on Sandino Ruler, catching the pacesetter in midstretch and extending his margin to nine lengths at the wire. Mirinaque (ARG), the 5-1 second choice, closed well to finish second, with Sandino Ruler holding on for third. Cool Day (ARG), the defending champion and 2-1 favorite, finished ninth.

Village King began his career in Argentina with five starts and was then sent to the U.S. following a third-place finish in the 2017 Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini. Under the care of trainer Todd Pletcher, Village King made eight starts, highlighted by a win in the 2018 Red Smith Stakes at Aqueduct. After an eighth-place finish in the G1 Man o' War Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., in May 2019, Village King was returned to Argentina and won his first race on more familiar ground, taking the 1 ½-mile G2 Progreso at San Isidro.

Following a second-place finish in the G1 Copa De Oro-Alfredo Lalor, Village King finished third in last year's Carlos Pellegrini, just slightly more than a half-length behind Cool Day. He continued his solid form into 2021, reeling off three consecutive turf victories at San Isidro, taking the G1 Miguel Alfredo Martinez de Hoz, the G3 Porteno, and the G1 25 de May – Copa Dr. Enrique de Hoz. The streak ended Oct. 24 in the G1 Longines Gran Premio Latino Americano on dirt at Maronas Nacional Racecourse in Uruguay, where he finished fourth, 6 ¼ lengths behind Aero Trem (BRZ).

As a part of the benefits of the Challenge series, the Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for Village King to start in the 1 ½-mile Longines Breeders' Cup Turf. Breeders' Cup also will provide a $40,000 travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 24, 2022, to receive the rewards.

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Breeders’ Cup Spot Up for Grabs in Carlos Pellegrini

The first automatic fees-paid berth to the 2022 Breeders' Cup will be handed out this Saturday in Argentina when the G1 Gran Premio Internacional Carlos Pellegrini, also known as the 'South American Arc', is run at the historic Hipodromo de San Isidro. The winner will punch their ticket to the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, to be held in 2022 at Keeneland.

Contested over 2,400 meters, about 1 1/2 miles, on the massive San Isidro turf course with about a three-furlong stretch run, the Pellegrini was won last year in a thrilling three-way duel by rail-running Cool Day (Arg) (John F Kennedy {Ire}) (video), who is back to defend his title. Bred by the historic Haras Abolengo farm, the 4-year-old chestnut went to the bench for over 10 months after his 2020 Pellegrini score, ruling out a Breeders' Cup try, but returned with a dominant 3 1/2-length victory in the G1 Gran Premio Copa de Oro here Oct. 30.

The most important race in South America, the Pellegrini is named after Carlos Enrique Jose Pellegrini, the first president of the Argentinian Jockey Club and one of its founding members when it was created in 1882. The race was first run in 1887, as the International Grand Prix, over 3,000 meters (about 1 7/8 miles) with Stiletto streaking to victory in 3:27 2/5. It quickly lived up to its 'international' billing, with French raider Athos II taking the trophy in 1890 and 1892. Overall, horses bred in countries other than Argentina have won the Pellegrini 17 times, with Brazilian Nao da Mais (T H Approval) being the most recent successful invader in 2019. The race regularly attracts horses from Brazil, Chile, Peru and Uruguay.

The grand finale of the racing season in Argentina, the Pellegrini holds a US$200,000 purse and unofficially bestows the title of the best horse in South America. It's the headliner of 'International Day' at San Isidro, which also features the 2,000-meter G1 Gran Premio Copa de Plata, similar to the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff or GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, the 1,600-meter G1 Gran Premio Joaquin S. de Anchorena, similar to the GI Breeders' Cup Mile and the 1,000-meter G1 Gran Premio Alzaga Unzue, similar to the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. The Anchorena has been won by names well familiar to U.S. racing fans, including the legendary Candy Ride (Arg) (Ride the Rails) and Lord At War (Arg) (General {Fr}) as well as 2014 GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. hero Winning Prize (Arg) (Pure Prize).

The Pellegrini is also a major social event on the Argentine calendar, with tens of thousands of people, including many Argentine celebrities, flocking to San Isidro for the race every year. The attendance record was set in 1986 when over 100,000 people showed up to see undefeated Fain (Arg) (Dancing Moss {GB}) take the trophy, and approximately 60,000 people are expected to attend this year.

Uruguayan jockey Irineo Leguisamo, considered the most decorated South American jockey of the 20th century, holds the record for most victories in the Pellegrini with 10 from 1924 through 1962; no other rider has won more than four. Juan Lapistoy and Alfredo Gaitan Dassie share the record for most Pellegrini conquests by a trainer with six apiece. Gaitan Dassie, who trains Cool Day, has a chance to take over the record by himself Saturday. Fourteen fillies and mares have defeated the boys in the Pellegrini, and there were dead heats for the win in 1915 and 1923.

Other contenders in this year's running include venerable 7-year-old Village King (Arg) (Campanologist), who ran in the U.S. in 2018 and 2019, picking up a score in the 2018 Red Smith S. and running third in the GII Pan American S. the following spring. This year, he is undefeated in three starts over the San Isidro lawn, picking up a pair of Group 1 triumphs in the 2,000-meter Gran Premio Martinez de Hoz and 2,400-meter Gran Premio 25 de Mayo (video). Mirinaque (Arg) (Hurricane Cat) also boasts U.S. graded stakes success. Though winless since taking the G1 Argentine Derby in 2019, he ran second in last year's GII Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance S. at Keeneland on the Breeders' Cup undercard and was a narrow runner-up to Village King in the Gran Premio 25 de Mayo. Overall, 19 horses are entered in the field.

The Carlos Pellegrini goes as the 13th race on a 17-race card Saturday at San Isidro with a scheduled post time of 7:35 local time (5:35 p.m. ET).

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Cool Day Belies Inexperience to Punch BC Ticket in Pellegrini

Making just the fourth start of his career, Cool Day (Arg) (John F Kennedy {Ire}) came with a daring late dash up the rail to upset Saturday’s G1 Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini, earning a spot in the field for the 2021 GI Breeders’ Cup Turf in the process. Pinball Wizard (Arg) (Orpen), the narrow second betting favorite, photoed American-raced Village King (Arg) (Campanologist) to earn place honors.

Guided down to the inside to save ground down the long San Isidro backstretch, Cool Day raced with about three or four behind into the final half-mile. Full of run into the demanding straight, Cool Day was held up for a run with 500 meters to go and again with time ticking away. But, shifted back down to the fence, he knifed through underneath Pinball Wizard and rallied gamely to a narrow score.

Cool Day is one of six winners from the first crop of his sire (Galileo {Ire}–Rumplestiltskin {Ire}), winner of the 2014 G3 Juvenile Turf S. for Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Flaxman Stables and Aidan O’Brien. The winner’s dam is a full-sister to Argentinian champion Cooptado (Arg), winner at home of the G1 Gran Premio Nacional (Argentine Derby) and third in the 2013 Pellegrini and a stakes winner in Singapore, Dubai and in the U.S., where he took the 2017 Tenacious S. under the care of Tom Morley.

Saturday, San Isidro, Argentina
GRAN PREMIO CARLOS PELLEGRINI-INTERNACIONAL-G1, Ar$15,000,080 ($181,227), San Isidro, 12-19, 3yo/up, 2400mT, 2:27.78, gd.
1–COOL DAY (ARG), 118, c, 3, by John F Kennedy (Ire)
1st Dam: Cool Site (Arg), by Equal Stripes (Arg)
2nd Dam: Coordinada (Arg), by Ride the Rails
3rd Dam: Coqueterie (Arg), by Ringaro
1ST STAKES WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Stud Estable C Mariana Eva; B-Haras Abolengo; T-Alfredo Franciso Gaitan Dassie; J-Eduardo Ortega Pavon; Ar$7,500,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-0, $100,619. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: C.
2–Pinball Wizard (Arg), 132, h, 5, Orpen-Pink Pony (Arg), by Pure Prize. O-Stud Don Teodoro; B-Haras Carampangue; T-Jorge Adrian Mayansky Neer; J-Juan Cruz Villagra; Ar$2,250,000.
3–Village King (Arg), 132, h, 6, Campanologist–Villard, by Pleasant Tap. O-Haras El Angel de Venecia; B-Haras Santa Maria de Araras; T-Juan Carlos Etchechoury; J-Brian Rodrigo Enrique; Ar$1,500,000.
Margins: HF, NO, 4. Odds: 8.65, 2.00, 5.70.
Also Ran: Tetaze (Arg), Emotion Orpen (Arg), Rohit Joy (Arg), Quiet Man (Arg), Enfermizo Paradiso (Arg), Last Corredor (Arg), Senor Fancy (Arg), Nunca Digas Never (Arg), Don Ringo (Arg), Negro Dream (Arg). Click for the Hipodromo San Isidro chart. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.

WATCH: Cool Day earns a Breeders’ Cup berth in the Carlos Pellegrini

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