By Bill Finley
Ready to host the $700,000 Clasico Internacional del Caribe for the second straight year, Gulfstream Park is looking to make an even bigger splash when it comes to holding top international races usually run elsewhere in the world.
Tim Ritvo, the Stronach Group's COO, told the TDN that the track is in negotiations to host the GI Gran Premio Latinoamericano and is optimistic the race will be run in South Florida in 2021. The race is traditionally held in March.
While the Clasico Internacional del Caribe is for horses from Carribean countries like Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Panama, the Gran Premio Latinoamericano is restricted to horses from countries which are members of the Asociacion Latinoamericana de Jockey Clubes e Hipodromos and, with a purse of $500,000, is the richest race run in South America. On its racing-related website, its sponsor, Longines, calls it the most important event in Latin American racing.
“It looks like we will be getting the Latinoamericano in a few years,” Ritvo said. “This is a really important race to us. It is a really, really good race. It's huge and it's never been held outside a South American country. It is sponsored by Longines and they've signed off on this because they have veto rights.”
Ritvo said the Clasico Internacional del Caribe was used as a trial run with bringing the South American race to Gulfstream in mind.
“The Clasico Caribe was the first step,” he said. “We learned how to get horses through quarantine and everything else that it took. We pulled it off. The next step was to reach out to the racing people in South America. Races like these are important to us because Gulfstream is such a multi-cultural, international place. We get fans from all over the world, including many from the Carribean and South American countries.”
The race was first run in 1981 and will be held this year in Chile. It was held in Uruguay last year and won by Roman Rosso (Arg) (Roman Ruler). After winning the race, he joined the Bob Baffert barn and made his next start in the GI Pacific Classic, where he finished a well-beaten fourth.
The race has been run on both the turf and dirt and is usually held at a mile and a quarter. Ritvo said the Gulfstream race will be on the turf.
Gulfstream management is also linking the GIII W.L. McKnight H. to the Gran Premio Latinoamericano. Whoever wins the race in 2019 will be granted an automatic invite into the Latin American race in 2020 and Gulfstream will cover all expenses involved.
Brazil leads all countries in Latinoamericano wins with 10, followed by Peru (9), Chile (8), Argentina (6) and Uruguay (1).
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