Offspring of Stud Magia Kenlova, the 2023 Brazilian 3-year-old champion, leads a stellar field of 16 runners, including five group 1 winners, in the 1/2-mile Grande Premio Brasil (G1) May 23 6 at Hipodromo da Gavea in Rio de Janeiro. The winner will receive an automatic starting position and paid entry into the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T) through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.
Kenlova, the 4 year old daughter of Didimo, has won nine of 15 starts, including three group 1 wins and four group 2 wins. Trained by Emerson Garcia, Kenlova has won six of eight races in the 2022-23 season, emerging The standouts were the Organizacion Sudamericana de Fomento de Sangre Pura de Carrera (G1) last May at Hipodromo de Cidade Jardim in Sao Paulo and the Roberto e Nelson Seabra (G1) five weeks later at Gavea. Those victories led her to her championship title.
She added her third career group this year when she captured Sao Paulo on May 19 over a mile and a half at Jardim by a nose over. Obataye.
Known for his ability to finish close, Haras Rio Iguassu’s 3-year-old Obataye had won three straight races─all by spearhead─before his defeat in Sao Paulo. Trained by Antonio Oldoni, Obataye, a son of Courtier, won the Parana (G3) at Taruma in December and added two more wins at Cidade Jardim, taking the Linneo de Paula Machado (G3) Feb. 3 and 14 de Marco (G3) March 9.
Another main challenge for Kenlova could come from Haras Doce Vale Underwear. My 3 year old son MC out of the elusive quality horse Kiss a fool, Underpants have won 3/5 matches for coach Ildefonso Coelho De Souza. In his latest outing, Underpants earned his first Group 1 win when he overtook Cruzeiro do Sul April 7 at Gavea, winning the 1 1/2 mile race by 1 3/length. 4.
Haras Do Morro 3 years old Mapa Do Brasil, another son of Emcee, finished third in Cruzeiro do Sul, but came right back in the May 12 Nove de Maio (G2) at Gavea and recorded the most impressive win of his 11-race career with a four-length victory as the leader. Favorite odds. Trained by Luiz Claudio Costa, victory in Nova de Maio ended Mapa Do Brasil’s run of four consecutive losses, dating back to when he captured the Sandpit (G3) last November at Gavea.
5 year old boy Online, owned by Stud Verde and trained by Luiz Claudio Costa, won the Feb. 4 Escorial (G3) over 1 1/4 miles at Gavea over a difficult stretch for his ninth win in the career. The son of Agnes Gold captured a top-level win in 2022 when he captured Francisco Eduardo de Paula Machado (G1), also at Gavea.
Stud Red Rafa 4 years old Quantitative2023 winner Francisco Eduardo de Paula Machado and 6-year-old filly by Stud HER Olympic Kremlinwho won Cruzeiro do Sul 2021, are the remaining group 1 winners in the field.
As part of the Challenge Series benefits, the Breeders’ Cup will pay the Grand Premio Brasil winner’s entry fee to start in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. The Breeders’ Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters outside of North America to compete in the World Championship. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program by the October 21 pre-entry deadline to receive the prize.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
