by Michael Burns

Longshot Ithamar scored an upset victory and earned his most lucrative win in the 87th running of the Gran Premio Internacional Dardo Rocha (Arg-G1), Hipodromo La Plata's premier event on Monday in Buenos Aires.

Under Peruvian apprentice Miguel Melendez, the five-year-old Interprete horse easily defeated La Plata’s best three-year-olds and older by four-lengths, covering 2,400 meters (11.93 furlongs) in 2:32.02.

Suker finished second, a half-length clear of Macho Posmo.

Campaigned by Stud El Cimarron and bred in Argentina by Haras El Paraiso, Ithamar is out of the Exactly Native mare Native Belle. He earned his fourth win from 32 career starts.

Also on the card, La Plata’s top-ranked Thoroughbred and middle distance specialist Secretario Plan posted his second Group 1 score with a four-length victory in the Gran Premio Internacional Joaquin V. Gonzalez (Arg-G1).

Under Francisco Arreguy, the four-year-old chestnut Silver Planet colt bested 15 rivals, covering 1,600 meters (7.95 furlongs) in 1:36.93 to earn his tenth win in 21 career starts for owner-breeder Juan Carlos Viano’s Haras Capricornio.

Secretario Plan won the Gran Premio San Isidro (Arg-G1) on October 7 and exited a third-place finish in the Gran Premio Palermo (Arg-G1) on November 10. Secretario Plan is out of the Skip a Charge mare Secretariana.

Condoleeza Slew capped the day for the connections of Stud/Haras Capricornio as the three-year-old filly charged down the stretch under jockey Andrea Marinhas to win the 1,200-meter (5.96-furlong) Gran Premio Clasico Ciudad de La Plata (Arg-G2).

Michael Burns is a South American-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent