Spinster victory marks a milestone for Correas

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Ignacio Correas hit a low point in early 2015 after parting ways with Sagamore Farm, the Maryland breeding and racing operation for which he served as private trainer for several years. So when Blue Prize gave him his first Grade 1 victory in North America by winning the Spinster here on Sunday, Correas – a former leading trainer in his native Argentina – was elated beyond words.

“This means a lot,” said Correas, 58. “It’s been a tough road, for me and my family, but we all believed in ourselves and thank this great country that gives us opportunities to thrive if you work hard and you try.”

Correas, whose good-humored demeanor has made him particularly popular with fellow horsemen and the racing media, has made steady gains in his numbers and clientele while based primarily in Kentucky for nearly four years now. By training such standouts as Blue Prize, Dona Bruja, and Kasaqui in the last few years, he has overcome the deep disappointment he experienced when having no choice but to regroup and rebuild following his Sagamore departure.

“They have built me,” he said.

Correas said that Dona Bruja, beaten just a head in the Grade 1 First Lady here on Saturday, will not run in the Breeders’ Cup and will be pointed instead to the Grade 1 Matriarch on Dec. 2 at Del Mar. Her narrow defeat, combined with a just-miss loss by Ready and Rich in the final race Saturday, had Correas shaking his head early Sunday, but all those regrets were washed away by the Spinster result.

“This is great, just great,” he said.