by Michael Burns
Argentine dual Classic winner He Runs Away (Arg) (Heliostatic {Ire}) headlines the G1 Gran Premio Internacional Carlos Pellegrini, South America's marquee race, on Saturday at Hipodromo San Isidro in Buenos Aires.
Trained by Gustavo Romero and to be ridden by Rodrigo Blanco, He Runs Away drew post 13 in a well-balanced field of 15 starters, including the top three finishers of the Argentine Derby, the winner of the Brazilian Derby and winners of the Estrellas Classic, Gran Premio San Martin and Copa de Oro, all Group 1 races.
He Runs Away bids to add a third Group 1 success in the continent's most prestigious race after impressive highest-level wins in both the Gran Premio Jockey Club and Gran Premio Nacional, the second and third leg of the Argentine Triple Crown.
Fourth in the G1 Gran Premio Polla de Potrillos (Argentine Two Thousand Guineas) on dirt at Palermo Racecourse, the improving colt's main opposition is expected to come from 4-year-old Don Inc (Arg) (Include), runner-up in last season's renewal of the Carlos Pellegrini and hero of this year's G1 Breeders' Cup Challenge race Gran Premio Internacional 25 de Mayo. Don Inc, due to break from post 14 with South America's winningest jockey Jorge Ricardo, enters the race off a runner-up effort in the G1 Gran Premio Copa de Oro.
Several others likely to figure include Besitos (Arg) (Cima De Triomphe {Ire}, a three-time group stakes winner on turf at Palermo this year, including the G1 Gran Premio San Martin; and G1 Gran Premio Copa de Oro champ Must Go On (Arg) (Freud).
Brazil sends the versatile and streaking 3-year-old Vettori Kin (Brz) (Vettori {Ire}, recent hero of the G1 Grande Premio Derby Paulista (Sao Paulo's Derby) in his last start at Cidade Jardim. The Emerson Garcia trainee, who will start from post nine under regular pilot Vagner Leal, enters South America's signature race off two straight wins for owner-breeder Stud TNT & Haras Old Friends.
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