by Michael Burns

Haras La Biznaga homebred Stormy Vil remained unbeaten with an impressive four-length victory in the Gran Premio Saturnino J. Unzue (Arg-G1), the first Group 1 event of the season for two-year-old fillies on Sunday at Hipodromo Argentino de Palermo.

A three-length winner in her career debut over Palermo's five-furlong straightaway on February 23, the promising two-year-old Bernstein filly earned her first stakes victory at the highest level with her triumph over six-length maiden winner Cat Style.

Race favorite Ola Olimpica, a previously unbeaten Group 2-winning Salt Lake filly, was pulled up entering the straight after fracturing her left front sesamoid. 

Conditioned by the successful Palermo-based trainer Roberto Pellegata and ridden by Argentine maestro Jorge Valdivieso, Stormy Vil completed 1,200 meters (5.97 furlongs) in 1:08.05 for her second career victory in as many starts.

Stormy Vil is the second foal out of the Roar mare Forty Villa, who produced a yearling filly by Bernstein in 2005 and a weanling filly by Pure Prize in 2006, all foaled on Southern Hemisphere time at Carlos Blaquier’s prestigious Haras La Biznaga, where Bernstein has shuttled for the last six consecutive years.

Michael Burns is a South America-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent