The South America continent is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Caribbean Sea lies to the northwest and that may be the reason that South America horses will be winning at Del Mar.
Don’t be shocked if a couple of runners from South America have coming out parties at this Del Mar meet. Traditionally, for some reason, horses from that hemisphere have done well at this racing stop over the decades and it could very well be in part to Del Mar proximity to the ocean and the overall weather picture.
Let’s take a look at some previous successful South America history.
The South America superstar Bayakoa made winning at Del Mar an art.
She who won a couple of Eclipse Awards and carried 127 pounds successfully taking the Chula Vista at Del Mar in 1990 under the legendary Laffit Pincay Jr.
Bayakoa was 6 for 8 in her first two racing seasons at Argentina but she excelled once she came to the states. Overall, she won 29 of 39 races, was in the exacta another 9 times, and banked over $2.8 million.
Everybody loves a parade and those that bet on Star Parade back in the day were rewarded as she was winning at Del Mar.
An Argentinean monster, Star Parade burst on to the scene for Darrell Vienna in 2003 taking an entry level allowance at Del Mar in her first start in the states.
Although the South America-based Pico Central was not winning at Del Mar, he ran a creditable third to Kela in the Grade 2 O’Brien at Del Mar, and went to New York to take the Met Mile and the Vosburgh.
Three short years ago the South America influence was felt at the Del Mar meet as Richard Mandella’s student Indy Point, an Argentinean runner, was winning at Del Mar.
This colt had not raced for over half a year but that didn’t stop him from winning his stateside debut at Del Mar.
The racer proved it was no fluke as he went on to the win the Grade 2 John Henry at Santa Anita and in his final start, the son of Indygo Shiner ran third to Magician in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
A pair from South America that will be winning at Del Mar raced last Saturday and they were far from disgraced although they were overmatched.
The Dream and Off the Road both had to settle for minor roles but they will rebound.
The runners were trying to beat the champion Beholder in the Clement Hirsch but Stellar Wind upset the champ running her record to 2 for 2 at Del Mar.
The Dream was making her stateside debut in the Hirsch and was entering the race having won 5 of her 8 starts including a pair of Group 1s in Chile.
She had trained fast for her Saturday race and she was forwardly placed but just could not handle Stellar Wind or Beholder. The Dream has a good pedigree. She is out of a Group 2 winning dam and is trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, who is one of the best trainer on the West Coast.
The Dream seems to be rare horse. She was precocious to win at first asking in her native land by 11 lengths at about 7 and a half furlongs and in her 2015 finale, she won at about a mile and a quarter. That kind of stamina range is not seen every day.
Expect Hollendorfer to be patient with The Dream. He will likely put a couple of more works into her and try her in a softer spot and she will be winning at Del Mar.
Off the Road has had a hard time acclimating to America but the feeling is she will be spotted for action in her next start. She has some back class as she won a Group 1 in Brazil 2 years ago and she showed signs of getting it together in the winter when she was 2nd in a Grade 3.
Off the Road seems to be prefer grass look for her to show up in a fully subscribed allowance race or maybe a minor stakes.
To make a profit on South America runners, players have to keep an open mind an include them in any serious exotic bet when one walks to the betting window.
