Argentine's Che Evasora Earns Breeders' Cup Distaff Slot With Gran Premio Criadores Triumph

Surging to the front in the final 100 yards, Stud Montana’s 57-1 shot Che Evasora scored a half-length victory Wednesday over fellow Argentine-bred Hawaiian Love in the 1 1/4-mile Gran Premio Criadores (G1) for fillies and mares on the dirt at Hipodromo de Palermo in Argentina. The winner, ridden by Jorge Peralta, earned an automatic starting position, and fees paid, into the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.

Now in its 18th season, the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California.

Che Evasora, trained by Marcelo Sueldo, is 5-year-old daughter by Greenspring out of Thundery Malice by Thunder Gulch. Earning her first Grade 1 win, she completed the distance in 2:00.13 over a fast track.

Breaking from post 1 in a 16-horse field, Che Evasora raced toward the rear of the field early as the favorites, 3-1 Garota Love and 4-1 Hawaiian Love, dictated the pace from the half-mile pole to the top of the stretch. As far back as 10th with a quarter-mile remaining, Che Evasora steadily worked her way along the rail to third. Not seeing a clear path to get by Hawaiian Love on the inside, Peralta suddenly swung Che Evasora off the rail and the mare responded with a burst of speed to pass Hawaiian Love for the victory. Another longshot, Erase Una Vez, made a strong closing bid on the outside to finish third, followed by Cyboogie in fourth, Abogada Brava in fifth, and Garota Love fading to sixth.

Che Evasora gained her sixth win in 23 starts, and her fourth win on dirt. In her previous start, the April 6 Gilberto Lerena (G1) at Palermo, she finished fourth, defeated by 6 1/2 lengths. Her first graded stakes triumph was on Dec. 19, when she took the 1 1/4-mile Los Criadores (G2) at La Plata by 2 lengths.

As a part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders’ Cup will pay the entry fees for the Che Evasora to start in the 1 1/8-mile Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Breeders’ Cup will also provide a $40,000 travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 21 to receive the rewards.