Gutierrez trying to win Clasico Internacional del Caribe a third straight year

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The most notable impressions one might have taken away from the first two editions of the Clasico Internacional del Caribe decided at Gulfstream Park was the size and enthusiasm of the crowds who attended the colorful event and the dominance of the Mexcian horses trained by Fausto Gutierrez.

Gutierrez has won the $300,000 Clasico del Caribe each of the last two years with Jala Jala and Kukulkan. He’s back with an excellent chance of continuing that streak on Sunday when he sends out a trio of 3-year-olds – Thibaut, El Santo, and Lopecitos – against nine rivals in the 1 1/8-mile Caribe.

The Caribe is the last of five stakes on a Clasico Internacional card that also includes the $100,000 Copa Confraternidad del Caribe, which attracted just five starters due in large part to the presence of Kukulkan, who’ll go postward the overwhelming favorite in the 1 1/4-mile fixture for 3-year-olds and up.

Sunday’s program will consist of 11 races with post time advanced to 11:40 a.m. This is the third year the Clasico Internacional del Caribe is being held at Gulfstream Park, the first venue outside of Latin America or the Caribbean to host the event.

Thibaut has made all 12 of his starts in his native Mexico and won his last two, including the Group 1 Criadores Mexicanos on Sept. 28. He defeated both El Santo and Lopecitos when the trio swept the first three positions in the Clasico Kremlin Stakes in Mexico City in their final prep for the Clasico del Caribe

“Although I think the competition is pretty level between Mexico and horses from several other countries competing in the Clasico, I am very confident we can win this race again,” said Gutierrez. “Thibaut won the two main qualifying races for this race, El Santo was the 2-year-old champion last year, and Lopecitos is a very good horse who has finished behind the other two in their previous races but can improve here under these conditions.”

El Santo, a two time Grade 1 winner at 2, has never finished worse than second in seven career starts. He has started just twice this year at 3, finishing second both times, and was beaten 1 3/4 lengths by Thibaut as the 4-5 favorite in the Clasico Kremlin.

“He’s had a very short season due to a leg issue, but he’s doing very well now,” Gutierrez said of El Santo.

Both Thibaut and El Santo will race with Lasix for the first time on Sunday.

The Mexican trio will have plenty of competition to deal with, including Gran Omero, a multiple Group 1 winner from Venezuela; the undefeated Papa Candelo from Puerto Rico; Panama’s Senor Concerto, who brings a five race win streak into the Clasico del Caribe; and Jamaican Triple Crown winner Supreme Soul.

Jamaica will be represented in the Clasico for the first time in over a decade. Supreme Soul will be joined in the starting lineup by Juice Man, a Jamaican bred 3-year-old who was a two-time Group 1 winner earlier this season in Trinidad.

Kukulkan will attempt to duplicate his former stablemate Jala Jala’s feat of winning the Clasico del Caribe and Confraternidad in consecutive seasons. Kukulkan rallied to a 10-length victory as a 1-5 favorite in the 2018 Caribbean Classic while registering his 14th consecutive win to launch his career. He’s remained in the U.S. ever since, and suffered his first setback when he finished 11th in the Pegasus World Cup here in January. Six months later he finished a game second behind Silver Dust in the Grade 3 West Virginia Governor’s Cup at Mountaineer Park.

“I’d love to win the Clasico and Confraternidad back to back once again as we did for the same stable last year with Jala Jala,” said Gutierrez. “I think it’s an advantage to come back here again a second time because of the experience, and I believe Kukulkan is a very nice horse who fits at a good level in this country.”

Kukulkan’s four rivals in the Confraternidad are Fray Angelico and Justiciero, who finished second and fourth behind Jala Jala in this event a year ago; Kandinsky, a distant third behind Kukulkan in the 2018 Clasico del Caribe; and Lluvia de Nieve, an 8-year-old with 22 victories and 45 first- or second-place finishes in 62 career starts.

◗ The filly counterpart to the Clasico, the Copa Dama del Caribe, drew eight 3-year-old fillies led by Grade 1 winners La Peralta (bred in Mexico), Go Sexy Go (Venezuela), and Cacciatora (Venezuela), along with the U.S.-based Best Trebol (Dominican Republic).

◗ Gutierrez’s unbeaten two-time Group 1 winner Letruska will likely be favored in the 1 1/4-mile Copa Invitacional del Caribe for 3-year-olds and up, which also lured key contenders California Music, Trincheto, Little Paul, and Secret Passage.

◗ A field of nine 3-year-olds will go six furlongs in the Copa Velocidad del Caribe. Multiple Group 1-placed Percusionista, trained locally by Jorge Navarro, is perhaps the one to catch in one of the more wide-open races on the card.