Led by multiple Group 1 winners El Kodigo (ARG) and Don Feres (PER), a 20-horse field has been entered for Saturday’s 1 1/2-mile Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini Internacional (G1) at Hipodromo de San Isidro outside Buenos Aires. The winner of South America’s most prestigious race will earn an automatic starting position in next year’s $5 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the 2025 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held on Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.
The Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini Internacional, with starters representing Argentina, Brazil, Peru, and Uruguay, is the first Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series race of the 2025 season.
Juan Antonio’s 4-year-old El Kodigo has been the top older horse in Argentina this year, earning three Group 1 victories, and has won six of his last seven starts for trainer Juan Saldivia. A son of Equal Stripes (ARG), El Kodigo has demonstrated equal prowess in winning on turf and dirt. In his last three starts, all at 1 1/2 miles, he swept two races at Hipodromo Argentino, taking the Sept. 7 General San Martin (G1) on turf and then dominating the Oct. 6 Vicente L. Casares (G2) on dirt by 13 lengths. In his previous start at San Isidro, he captured the Copa de Oro—Alfredo Lalor (G1) by 1 1/2 lengths over Jazz Seiver, with Intense for Me (ARG) finishing third.
Sporting a record of eight wins in 12 starts, El Kodigo will break from the extreme outside post 20 under Gustavo Calvente.
Stud Jet Set’s Don Feres has been the top horse in Peru for the past two years, accumulating 9 wins in 13 starts. Trained by Juan Suarez, Don Feres won his first five races of the 2022-2023 season en route to becoming Peru’s champion grass horse. The son of Singe The Turf (IRE) has captured his last four starts this year, all at Monterrico in Lima, including his most recent Group 2 scores in the Oct. 13 Clasico Almirante Miguel Grau Seminario and the Nov. 2 Clasico Presidente de la Republica at 1 1/2 miles. Significantly, he has solid experience over the San Isidro course, finishing second in the 2023 Longines Gran Premio Latinoamericano (G1). He will be ridden from post 12 by leading South American jockey Carlos Trujillo.
Among the 3-year-olds who figure to be prominent in the weight-for-age race are Stud Macul’s Acento Final (ARG) and Haras El Angel de Venecia’s Honest Boy (ARG). They were the first two finishers in the controversial 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club (G1) on Oct. 5, which was the second jewel of Argentina’s Triple Crown. Trained by Nicolas Martin Ferro, Acento Final took the lead inside the final furlong of the Jockey Club at San Isidro and appeared to force the fast-closing Honest Boy to check in the final yards. A jockey’s objection, however, was disallowed. A son of Treasure Beach (GB), Acento Final will be ridden by Kevin Baneagas from post 4. Honest Boy, by Heliostatic (IRE), will be making just his fifth start for trainer Juan Etchechoury, who has saddled winners in two of the last three editions of the Carlos Pellegrini. Honest Boy finished second in the Sept. 14 American Lion Award prior to the Jockey Club. Ivan Monasterolo has the mount from post 13.
Starting from post 1 is another 3-year-old, La Providencia’s Grezzo (ARG), a son of Hi Happy (ARG), who won the 2015 Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini. After finishing fourth in the Jockey Club, Grezzo, trained by Marina Bragante, stepped up to 12 furlongs for the first time in the Nov. 2 De la Provincia Buenos Aires (G3), and won it by 3 1/2 lengths. Grezzo will be ridden by Eduardo Pavon.
Stud Las Monjitas’s 5-year-old Jazz Seiver made a strong closing burst from 11th place to finish second in last year’s race as the 9-5 favorite. This year, the Juan Manual Etchechoury-trained son Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Super Saver has won two of five starts, highlighted by his second Group 1 triumph in the De Honor-Copa Julio y Carlos Menditeguy on April 6 at Hipodromo Argentino. He will be ridden by Francisco Fernandez from post 7.
Stud Toroquemero’s 4-year-old Intense for Me has finished in the top three in his last seven starts. Trained by Nicolas Martin, the son of Fortify has won two Group 2 stakes this year at San Isidro, taking March 23, 1-mile America by 9 lengths, and followed up that performance with a 4-length win in the 1 1/8-mile Forli on June 2. Javier Martin has the mount, breaking from post 18.
As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders’ Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini Internacional to start in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf. Breeders’ Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 20, 2025, to receive the rewards.
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