South American Star Ya Primo U.S. Bound

The South American racing scene is still buzzing with the results of the March 10 Longines Gran Premio Latinoamericano (G1) at Club Hipico in Santiago, Chile. Three-year-old Ya Primo blew his elders away in the 10-furlong turf race, tripping the timer in a track record 1:56.68 for the one-turn event.

While the striking gray colt has a pedigree steeped in South American breeding—his first six dams were bred in Chile—the son of European shuttle stallion Mastercraftsman (by Danehill Dancer), will make his way to the United States sometime next week and potentially be pointed toward a race in the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park.

Sol Kumin's Madaket Stable, along with partners Mark and Jose Lore, purchased a 50% stake in the horse in the days leading up to the Latinoamericano.

"The horse was super impressive," said an enthusiastic Kumin the day after the race. "When you buy a horse a week before a race, you are hoping you did the right thing ... but you're wondering ... and you'll find out how well you did pretty quickly. We were extremely happy with the result."

Bred and co-raced by the Solari family's Haras Don Alberto, along with co-owner Javier Carvallo, Ya Primo came to Club Hipico off a 4 1/2-length win Feb. 3 in the El Derby (G1), Chile's top race for 3-year-olds. Run at Valparaiso Sporting Club in Vina del Mar, the El Derby was run in an equally impressive time: 1 1/2 miles in 2:24.13. Ya Primo, trained by Chile's leading trainer Guillermo Aguirre, has won five of nine starts.

Don Alberto, headed by Carlos Heller and his mother, Liliana Solari, is the leading breeder in Chile and has made quite an impression in the U.S. in the past few years, purchasing a large farm in Central Kentucky, and purchasing quality bloodstock. They've found success at the top level racing two-time champion Unique Bella and were co-owners of the late Battle of Midway, who was third in the 2017 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) and winner of the Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

The Solari family also is the largest shareholder in Club Hipico and Heller reigns as the chairman.

Kumin had made other purchases in South America through bloodstock agent Fernando Dias-Valdez, who told him to keep Ya Primo in mind.

"He said there was another really good horse out there. We kept our eyes on the horse and when we spoke, they said they would sell half," Kumin said. "When the morning line came out, he was 11-1 and my partner called and said, 'Hey, I thought this horse would be first-, second-, or third-choice. What happened here?' I was told by Dias-Valdez not to worry, that by race time he would be first- or second-choice. He sent me a picture of the toteboard about five minutes to post, so we felt a little more comfortable.

"The trophy looked pretty nice," Kumin said. "I texted Fernando that we needed one of those ... we don't have one in the case."

Kumin, along with partner Jay Hanley and bloodstock agent Pete Bradley, have had success with Chilean-bred horses before. They purchased Dacita, who came to the U.S., won a pair of grade 1 races including Arlington International Racecourse's Beverly D. Stakes, and was later sold for $1.85 million at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November Sale.

Ya Primo will be sent to Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown and be given the time he needs.

"Chad will let the horse acclimate and put a little bit of a campaign together that might come about the end of the summer and see if we can get him to peak at the Breeders' Cup," Kumin said. "The more time he can give him the better. It seems like the South American horses get even better after a year."

Carvallo believes Ya Primo will excel in the U.S.

"I think he will do fine in the States," he said. "He weighs 500 kilos (1,100 pounds), he's very strong. This horse is well trained. One problem is the quarantine, but Ya Primo eats a lot; he's a good doer and the sky is the limit."

Carvallo noted the colt reminded him of the Chilean-bred and -raced champion Robert Bruce, who came to the U.S. and won the 2018 Arlington Million XXXVI Stakes (G1T) for Brown and Convento Viejo.

The climate for purchasing horses abroad to race in the U.S. continues to heat up.

"When we started we were buying a lot of horses from Europe but it's getting more competitive," Kumin said. "Every time we see a good horse win a race, we make a call and we have to move faster and pay more money. There are more people doing it. We're trying to find more ways to get horses into the country that are a little different. We're trying to focus a little bit more on South America, but you have to buy the best ones. That's the formula that works."