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Panamanian sensation
Cafajeste (Pan), ridden by
Panamanian native Cornelio
Velasquez, rolled to a
powerful victory in the 36th
running of the $300,000
Clasico del Caribe
(Caribbean Derby), the
richest race in Latin
America, on Sunday at Puerto
Rico’s El Comandante
racetrack.
Cafajeste closed fast in the
stretch of the 1 1/8-mile
race under a well-timed ride
from Velasquez, who guided
Cajun Beat to victory in
this year's Breeders' Cup
Sprint (G1), to defeat and
leave behind hometown
hopefuls Monoestrellado and
Despreciado. Venezuelan
champion filly Gran
Esmeralda placed fourth
under Puerto Rican native
and New York-based rider
John Velázquez.
Trained
by Rafael Fernández,
Cafajeste is a
three-year-old chesnut son
of Argentine stallion
Alphard who registered his
eighth victory in 17 career
starts for owner Stud Full
House.
Bred by
Haras San Miguel, Cafajeste
is out of the Creyente (Arg)
mare Cono Quiera (Arg).
The
Clasico del Caribe is the
annual Caribbean nations
Thoroughbred championship
for three-year-olds of the
participant nations in the
ten-member Confederacion
Hipica del Caribe, including
Venezuela, Colombia,
Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico,
Panama, Dominican Republic,
Puerto Rico, Trinidad Tobago
and Jamaica.--Michael Burns
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