9-Year-Old Calidoscopio wins Clasico Belgrano in Argentina and Qualifies for Breeders' Cup Marathon

BUENOS AIRES (June 23, 2012) – After finishing second in the 1 1/2 mile Clasico Belgrano on two previous occasions, the 9-year old Calidoscopio (ARG) swept down the stretch of Palermo Racecourse to score a two length victory in Saturday's renewal and earned an automatic starting position into the Breeders’ Cup Marathon (GII) at Santa Anita Park in California through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series.
 
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge is a global series of 73 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions into a corresponding race of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which will be held on Nov. 2-3.
 
If Calidoscopio is nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program by October 22, Breeders’ Cup Ltd., will pay for his entry fee into the Marathon and provide his connections a US$20,000 travel allowance to California for the Championships.
 
Following the race, owner Juan Carlos Echeverz, indicated that he would most probably make the nomination and send Calidoscopio, who was runner-up in the Clasico Belgrano in 2007 and in last year’s edition, to run in the Marathon. Trained by Guillermo Frenkel Santillan and ridden by top South American jockey Pablo Falero of Uruguay, Calidoscopio, a bay son of Luhuk (ARG) overcame front runner Dream Storm (ARG) in the last 100 meters to claim victory in 2:38.2. El Santino finished another three lengths back in third.
 
A specialist in racing long distance, Calidoscopio has won 9 career races, seven of them group races between 2000 and 3000 meters, including the Gran Premio Republica Argentina (G1) in 2009.
 
This was the second Breeders’ Cup Challenge race held in Argentina this year. In May, As Qasr qualified for the Breeders’ Cup Turf by winning the Gran Premio 25 de Mayo at San Isidro Racecourse.
 
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge series resumes on Sunday with two more automatic qualifiers for the Breeders’ Cup Turf: the Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin Racecourse in Japan and the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in France.