Ordak Dan Earns a Place in the Breeders' Cup Turf
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Photo: Hemilifot/Hipódromo de San Isirdo
Ordak Dan earned a return trip to the Breeders' Cup Turf with his victory
Capturing his third Gran Premio 25 de Mayo (G1) at San Isidro Racecourse in four years, the irrepressible 8-year-old gelding Ordak Dan has earned another trip back to the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge series.
The bay Argentina-bred son of Hidden Truth is owned by Stud Misterio and trained by Juan Carlos "Carly" Etchechoury. He won the 1 1/2-mile test May 25 by three lengths win over Don Archi. The final time was 2:38.64 over a turf course listed as heavy. (Video)
Ordak Dan broke well from the third post position in the 12-horse field, and stalked front runners Areco Run and favored Sixties Song in third place for the first mile. Sixties Song then ranged up to take the lead and held it through 1 1/4 miles when jockey Eduardo Ortega Pavon powered Ordak Dan to the inside of Sixties Song and into the lead, widening the margin to three lengths along the rail and through the wire. Don Archi closed to be second behind a tiring Sixties Song, who was followed by Thabor in fourth. Dulce Sam, Stivers, Must Go On, Areco Run, El Margot, Full Throttle, Harlan's Blue, and Frances Net completed the order of finish.
The winner came into Thursday's race off a seventh-place finish March 5 in the 1 1/2-mile Gran Premio Latinoamericano (G1) in Chile and prior to that was third in the 1 1/4-mile Gran Premio Miguel Alfredo Martinez de Hoz (G1) at San Isidro.
Ordak Dan first qualified for the Breeders' Cup Turf when he won 2015 Gran Premio 25 de Mayo. He finished ninth in the Turf that year.
The Gran Premio 25 de Mayo was the second of five Breeders' Cup Challenge races to be run in South America this year. On May 1, the 4-year-old Kiriaki won the Gran Premio Criadores (G1) at Palermo and earned an automatic berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). Coming up May 28 is the third South American Challenge race, the 1 1/4-mile Gran Premio Club Hipico Falabella (G1), for 3-year-olds and up, in Santiago, Chile, with the winner earning an automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T).
The Breeders' Cup Challenge series, now in its 11th year, comprises 81 stakes races run in 13 countries whose winners receive free berths and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be held, for the first time, at Del Mar Nov. 3-4. Breeders' Cup will also provide a $40,000 travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships.