by Michael Burns

Peru-based Deepak led at every point of call en route to a 2 ¾-length victory in the $210,000 XXIV Clasico Asociacion Latinoamericana de Jockey Clubes e Hipodromos – Copa Falabella (Per-G1) on Saturday at Hipodromo de Monterrico.

The Latinoamericano is South America's most important multinational Group 1 weight-for-age race.

The Kentucky-bred four-year-old Pikepass colt sprinted to an unchallenged lead under Carlos Trujillo and never looked back to score his most important career victory.

George Strawbridge’s Chilean St. Leger (Chi-G1) winner Kurbat rallied in midstretch but was second best. Kurbat finished 6 ¾ lengths clear of Polizonte, who finished third in the 12-horse field.

Trained by Jorge Salas, Deepak covered 2,000 meters (9.94 furlongs) on a deep, sandy track in 2:08.40 for his first Group 1 victory.

Deepak, a stakes winner on both dirt and turf, earned a berth to represent Peru in the 24th edition of the Latinoamericano by scoring a front-running victory in the Clasico Enrique Meiggs (Per-G3) on January 27. The Latinoamericano victory marked Deepak’s third straight graded stakes win at the distance.

Freddy Nossar’s Deepak tallied his seventh win in 15 career starts. Nossar has twice won the Gran Premio Internacional Carlos Pellegrini (Arg-G1) as an owner and raced South American standout El Duce (Per), runner-up in the 1990 Gran Premio Asociacion Latinoamericana de Jockey Clubs (Chi-G1).

An estimated crowd of more than 40,000 attended Saturday's Latinoamericano, including representatives of the Keeneland Association, co-sponsor of the race.

Bred in Kentucky by Joan Foliart, Deepak is out of the unraced Unbridled mare Unbridled Queen. A full brother to multiple stakes-placed winner Pass the Bar, Deepak was purchased for $12,000 at the 2005 Keeneland September yearling sale by former United States-based jockey Fernando Valdizan.

Michael Burns is a South America-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent