Il Mercato punches BC Turf ticket with Carlos Pellegrini win

Il Mercato won the most prestigious race of his career in Saturday’s Group 1 Gran Premio International Carlos Pellegrini at San Ysidro Racecourse in Argentina to earn a fees-paid berth to the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita.

Il Mercato, ridden by Juan Noreiga, was 16-1 and finished a head in front of Sixties Song, the 2-1 favorite in the $319,394 race at 1 1/2 miles on turf. For the Top, the winner of the Group 1 Argentine Derby at 1 1/2 miles on dirt in November, finished third at 5-1 in the field of 18.

The Carlos Pellegrini is the most prominent race in Argentina, bringing together several of the country’s top runners.

Il Mercato, 3, who led throughout the Pellegrini, races for Ricardo Benedicto’s Stud Rubio B and is trained by Juan Maldotti. Il Mercato is the first runner to gain a berth in a 2019 Breeders’ Cup race. By Not for Sale, Il Mercato has won 3 of 7 starts.

The Breeders’ Cup has launched the qualifying process for Southern Hemisphere runners early to allow the winner to acclimate to the Northern Hemisphere well in advance of the BC Turf, according to a statement released Thursday.