Husson Chuck Had All the Credentials to Achieve a Stakes Victory

In a gutsy performance, with Darío Gómez shining in the saddle, Vacaquincho’s Husson Chuck claims the Clásico Oswaldo Aranha (L), at La Plata

A Photo the Husson Chuck Team Had Been Longing for / COURTESY OF HLP

LA PLATA, Argentina — Husson Chuck had been knocking on the door of a big win for quite some time. Near misses and narrow defeats were a recurring theme in his career until this Thursday, when the Stud Vacaquincho runner finally broke through to claim victory in the Clásico Oswaldo Aranha (L, 1600m, dirt), the feature race at La Plata racetrack.

After a brief break, the son of Chuck Berry delivered a highlight performance, capping off a tremendous week for trainer Néstor Bustos, who just days earlier celebrated a stakes victory with Save Your Tears (Full Mast) in the Clásico Francia (L) at San Isidro.

Jockey Darío R. Gómez rode Husson Chuck masterfully, positioning him strategically throughout the race. He allowed race favorite Enloqueceme (Fragotero) to set the pace under pressure from the experienced Ecólogo Estrella (Ecólogo), then made his move on the inside around the turn. Husson Chuck dug deep in the stretch, engaging in a head-to-head battle with Enloqueceme and prevailing in the final strides.

The official margin at the wire was a neck, with Enloqueceme settling for second. Ecólogo Estrella, finishing ¾ lengths behind in third, showed late fight despite some interference in the final stages that took him out of contention. Hilando Fino (Safety Check), an outsider in the field, completed the order of finish another seven lengths back after a respectable effort, improving on his recent performances in allowance company. The final time for the race was 1:39.6.

A homebred for Haras La Catedral de Palermo, Husson Chuck had consistently performed at a high level, boasting a résumé of 19 starts without ever missing the board. Among his prior accomplishments were runner-up finishes in the Clásico José M. Boquín (L) and Clásico Jockey Club de Venezuela (L), as well as third-place efforts in the Polla de Potrillos (G3), Clásico 9 de Julio (G3), and Clásico Benito Lynch (L).

Interestingly, Husson Chuck is the tenth and final foal out of Hospitably, a Chilean import by the legendary Hussonet, and the mare’s only winner. Originally purchased by Haras Futuro, Hospitably has now left her mark in the sport through this determined and long-awaited stakes winner.

With this breakthrough behind him, Husson Chuck may now set his sights on a brighter future filled with more frequent victories at the stakes level.