Group 1 win in Chile qualifies Frateli La Vita for Breeders’ Cup

Frateli La Vita surged to the front in the final 100 yards
to win Sunday’s Group 1 Club Hípico de Santiago on turf in the winner’s native Chile.

Ridden by Luis Torres to a half-length win over Quimera
Ideal, Frateli La Vita earned an automatic starting position into the Breeders’ Cup Mile through the championships’ win-and-you’re-in challenge series.

Owned by Stud Rey Santino Diez and trained by Luis Gutiérrez, the
victorious 3-year-old son of Seeking the Dia completed the race in 2:03.18 without
a run-up for his third win in 14 starts.

Sent away at 7-1 in the 13-horse field, Frateli La Vita
settled in ninth place along the backstretch while Auntman and filly Ionósfera set
the pace through the first half-mile. Moving out of the far turn Wild Coast
took the lead briefly but soon was overtaken by even-money favorite Wentrue in
the center of the course. At the same time long shot Quimera Ideal, saving
ground along the rail, mounted a challenge to the front.

Seeing an opening late in the stretch run, Torres boldly
moved Frateli La Vita past Wentrue and set his sights on 14-1 Quimera Ideal,
who had come off the rail in the final stages. Torres urged Frateli La Vita
into the lead and held off the late charge from long shot Medjool, who was in
third at the wire. Ionósfera finished fourth followed by Wild Coast in fifth.
Wentrue faded to ninth.

Frateli La Vita won his first race since taking the July
running of the 1 1/2-mile Raimundo Valdés Cuevas (G3) at Santiago. He came into
Sunday’s race off an eighth-place finish in El Derby (G1) at Valparaíso on
March 17. Frateli La Vita was bred in Chile by Haras Don Alberto.

As a part of the benefits of the challenge series, the Breeders’
Cup will pay the entry fees for the Frateli La Vita to start in the Mile at Del
Mar on Nov. 2. It also will provide a travel allowance for all starters based
outside North America.

Frateli La Vita joins Charles Dickens, winner of the Jan. 6 King’s
Plate in South Africa, as the first two horses to win their way into the
Breeders’ Cup Mile.