Lago Nahuel Huapí Drew on Grit and Experience to Prevail in the Doyhenard

The colt battled through a demanding race over a testing track and has firmly established himself as one of the top 2-year-old colts at La Plata

Lago Nahuel Huapí dug in gamely along the rail to earn his first stakes victory / HLP

LA PLATA, Argentina – There was no shortage of drama in Tuesday’s running of the G3 Clásico Luis María Doyhenard (1300m, heavy), the next chapter in the juvenile series at Hipódromo de La Plata. With undisputed divisional leader Takeshi Frank a late absentee as he nears a sale abroad, the spotlight logically shifted to Lago Nahuel Huapí, runner-up last time out behind that rival in the G3 Agustín B. Gambier.

But things were far from easy for the son of Hurricane Cat, who had to earn every inch of his first black-type win over a testing track made more demanding by persistent rain in the hours leading up to the race.

With Elías Martínez in the irons, Lago Nahuel Huapí took the lead early while pressed throughout by Cinco Tapón (Sixties Song), and the pair remained locked in battle to the top of the stretch. It was Cinco Tapón who appeared to have the upper hand turning for home, edging clear with a promising move, but Lago Nahuel Huapí was not done. Showing a blend of courage and grit, he re-rallied along the inside, reclaimed the lead inside the final 100 meters, and held on gamely.

At the wire, Lago Nahuel Huapí prevailed by a short neck over Cinco Tapón, with Juanchi Key (Presagio Key) flying late down the center to finish just another short head back in third. The winner stopped the clock in 1:21.52, with just seven lengths separating the six runners—Lord Peten (Peten Itza) was a late scratch.

“It was an unusual race, because he’s used to coming from behind,” said jockey Elías Martínez in a post-race interview with Daniel Sinegub. “But breaking from the rail we didn’t have much choice. It looked like they were going to beat us, but I was able to give him a breather and he responded when I asked. We’ve always believed he’ll handle more ground, so I imagine they’ll work on stretching him out.”

Trained by Andrés Domingo, Lago Nahuel Huapí races for Stud Marcha Frida and was bred by Haras Carampague. His dam, Laguna del Sol (Orpen), won three races between San Isidro and Palermo, and is a full-sister to La Laguna Azul, Argentina’s Horse of the Year in 2011, and to stakes winner Abe Lincoln—all from the same prolific family as champion Telescópico (Table Play).