Racing in – South America

Original article written by Gigi Gofaster posted 13 years 2 weeks ago

I’ve taken a look at why you should abse your horse in some of the lesser know parts of the US, and now I’ve got a series on why you should think about a home base abroad. I’ll be reviewing the main global circuits, and try to give some pointers as to what you can expect and what kind of horse should be is which part of the world. Our first stop is South America.

Facilities

South America is a big continent, and it is accordingly well equipped with tracks and stables. There are seven home base stables, each on in a different country so take your pick. The most economical is La Quinerra in Brazil at only $5, but if you are after prestige then Chile’s Gobruins Andes will set you back $50. As a soccer fan, I’d prefer if it were named Goborghi, but you can’t have everything.

The same goes for tracks, seven tracks, seven different countries (although Peru appears in tracks and not is stables, and Paraguay has a stable but no track). Again, if you plan to leave your horse on site, Hipodromo Venezuela is the cheapest, and Columbia Racecourse is the priciest, but none cost more than $75, so you can settle just about anywhere.

Races

A decent horse can pick up a lot of money in South America. There’s racing all year, and at least on decent stakes race every week – most at $100,000 or more. If you have a solid performer over distance, you might aim for the El Clasico Derby or Las Oaks, the Derby and Oaks for South America (obviously, even if you didn’t do languages in school). The grand prize is the Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini in week nine, offering $500,000 for the turf routers. There is a cluster of handsome prizes in week ten, including the President’s Stakes and the Filly and Mare Gold Cup in Venezuela. Stick it out for the year though, and enjoy the ‘Los Campeones festival’, otherwise interpreted as the Steward’s Cup for South America.

It’s safe to say there is plenty of money for a good horse in South America, but the biggest prizes are for the turf routers. If you’ve got a stayer on the grass, then you ought to consider a South American campaign. Don’t expect it to be an easy journey though, plenty of top notch horses have set foot on South American soil, and there’s one big reason why. This is one heck of a place to pick up a Simmy.

Who races here?

That South American Simmy has something of a history as a ‘consolation prize’ for globetrotters. Australian picked it up after just one race on the continent, as did Perfect As She Is. Others have closed out their seasons in South America, avoiding the heat of US races and aiming for the precious Simmy. Horses like Splintered, Seal, and After It Rains have finished their seasons earning some hefty cash and impressive wins; enough to earn them a place in the Simmy record books.

It’s an interesting strategy, but it can backfire. Hurry Up and Wait made it work, finishing his 5 year old season for an award, but in doing so he beat poor Fact Not Fiction twice who was trying to do the same thing. And consider Don’t Hesitate. This Derby winner had nothing to prove as a 3 year old, but instead of challenging the Steward’s Cup, he went for the Los Campeones Classic. Sure, he won it, and got his SoAm Simmy, but he needed his 93 speed figure to win it – meanwhile the big US Stewie prize was won with only an 81. It was a long way to go to find a tougher race and a smaller purse!

But the fact remains, if you have a good turf router, the South America makes a lot of sense. There are plenty of races with ample prizes, the tracks and farms won’t break your bank, and you’ve got a good chance at a Simmy if you can pick up even one big win. Prepare yourself though for the season to heat up – a lot of good horses head to South America at the close of the season, and in the race for the South American Simmies they’ll be likely to give you a run for your money!

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