Dr. Ciro captured Saturday's Gran Premio Nacional (Arg-G1), the third jewel of Argentina's Triple Crown, at Hipodromo Argentino de Palermo in Buenos Aires, defeating the multiple group stakes-winning Roy filly Netherland.Rated as the 5-to-1 third choice and ridden by Juan Noriega, Dr. Ciro caught Netherland at the sixteenth pole to win the historic 1 9/16-mile event, which was first run in 1884, in a time of 2:37.42 on a dirt track labeled heavy.

Another Group 1 winner, Lac Azur, a son of Central Kentucky-based shuttle stallion Mutakddim, was third, six lengths back, followed by Rodion, 2.25-to-1 favorite Passport Pride, Holiday Road, West Renovado, Potro Sol, and After Life.

Although it drew a good field, the race lost some of its luster when Ice Point, a son of Roy out of the El Gran Senor mare Ice the Champagne, did not start. Ice Point had won the first two races of the Triple Crown—the Polla de Potrillos (Arg-G1) on September 15 and Gran Premio de Jockey Club (Arg-G1) on October 20—by a combined margin of 15 lengths.

Dr. Ciro, bred by Jorge Curutchet and Javier Zubizarreta, is by Argentine stallion Engrillado out of Pura Vida, by Kaljerry. Owned by his breeders and Francisco Colagiovanni and trained by Roberto Pellegatta, Dr. Ciro earned a purse of $75,145 while notching his third group victory and fourth overall win in seven starts. The dark bay colt had won the Dos Mil Guineas (Arg-G1) at about a mile on the turf at San Isidro on July 28.

Dr. Ciro is expected to start next in mid-December against older and foreign horses in the Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini Internacional (Arg-G1) over 1 1/2 miles on the turf at San Isidro.—Pablo Roig