NEWS
Casablanca Smile shines in Chilean Derby
Posted: Monday, February 01, 2010 3:33 PM
by Michael Burns
Group 1-winning three-year-old filly Casablanca Smile, sent off as the favorite in the 125th edition of the Clasico El Derby (Chi-G1), closed ground quickly in the stretch and drew off to a six-length victory on Sunday at Valparaiso Sporting Club in Vina del Mar.
The $197,857 race for three-year-olds is the third and final leg of the Chilean Triple Crown.
Ridden by Hector Berrios, the Ocean Terrace filly covered 2,400 meters (11.93 furlongs) in 2:23.92 on firm turf to record her fifth victory in 12 career starts for owner Stud Carillanca.
Haras Matancilla’s homebred fillies Mauca and Costa Norteña finished second and third, respectively, in the 16-horse field. Co-champion two-year-old turf males Tim Bero and pacesetter Truly Funny, finished fourth and last, respectively. St. Leger Cristal (Chi-G1) winner Cuan Linda finished seventh.
Casablanca Smile entered off a half-length score in the Clasico Las Oaks (Chi-G1) against three-year-old fillies on the turf at Club Hipico de Santiago racecourse on December 4. She previously was second against males in the Clasico El Ensayo Cristal (Chi-G1) (Chilean Derby), the first leg of the Chilean national Triple Crown at Club Hipico de Santiago on November 1.
With the victory in the Clasico El Derby, the three-year-old filly earned a berth to represent Club Hipico de Santiago racecourse as the host track’s first substitute for the Gran Premio Internacional Asociacion Latinoamericana de Jockey Clubes e Hipodromos (Chi-G1) on March 7.
Bred in Chile by Maria Luisa Solari Falabella’s and Marcel Zarour's Haras El Sheik, Casablanca Smile is out of the stakes-placed winning Sadler’s Congress mare Periza. She is a half sister to 2002 Mil Guineas (Chi-G1) winner Patakuza and Group 2 winner Pretty Cat.
Michael Burns is a South America-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent
